Shape Shifter
by Night-the-Dragon
Summary: Yamato is a shifter with a lonely past. Taichi is a human who fits in, but believes in something his peers don't all care for. When they eventually meet, how will they progress? Will everything crumble for them? Or will the puzzle pieces fit together? A/U, Taito, mpreg, lemons, yaoi. Rated M for some sexual content and language.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Okay, so this is a fic I've been debating on which of my pairings I should assign it to. I wasn't sure if I should do it as an AkuRoku, and Joshua/Neku, or a Taito, but I decided to make it a Taito. I realized I hadn't done a fic like this before, so I was really excited to start this one! Anyhoo, when this starts, Taichi is 18. I won't say Yamato's age because it'll confuse you until you start reading more into the fic. Also, I'll be alternating POV's between Taichi &amp; Yamato. Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Shape Shifter

Chapter 1

X*X(Yamato's POV)X*X

I wandered through my forest home, staying out of sight of the others. I didn't care about being with my own kind, and hadn't since I was abandoned by my parents when I was 13. It had been 72 years since then, but I didn't care. I had all of my immortal life to live, even though I was already 85. I was still young compared to many of the shifters in this forest, though. I'd barely had any contact with the others in the forest, but I tended to keep myself close to a certain human lately. It was dangerous, according to the other shifters, but I was the stealthiest of them all. I knew when to shift and when not to, and always knew which form to take.

But anyway, this human I've been following is one I'd saved 10 years ago for some reason I can't even understand. Recently, I had taken to watching over him after spotting him in a scuffle with some other boys that were older than him. I couldn't do anything to stop them, lest I be caught, and I was forced to watch as they beat him up. From there on out, I decided to watch and protect him, Being extremely subtle in how I protected him. It was usually just a light push or gentle tug out of harm's way while in the form of a dog, or even scaring off a wild animal that was watching him from the shadows of the forest. I haven't had to chase off a fellow shifter yet, fortunately, but I did when I saved the human all those years ago. I was also glad he was still alive, for some reason. Well, hopefully I'd figure it out eventually.

My ears perked up at the mention of my name, so I shifted from a wolf into an owl and glided over to the source, remaining hidden in the branches.

"So, have you guys been able to follow Yamato?" one of the voices asked. "'Cause I've had no damn luck."

"No, nothing here, either," another voice sighed.

"Why are we trying to keep tabs on him again?" a third voice asked.

"Because he's had interest in that human he saved 10 years ago, stupid!" the first voice snapped, followed by a yelp from the third shifter.

"Ow! That hurt, dammit!" he whined.

"Then remember why we need to keep an eye on him!" the first growled. "We need to stop him from going after humans, because we know he won't eat one, he'd rather be friends with them!"

"Are you sure about that? He seems like he'd rather just be left alone than befriend a human," the second questioned doubtfully. I bristled silently from where I perched, furious that they would accuse me of such things. Sure, I'd been following that human for a few weeks now, but that was no reason to cause alarm.

"Yeah, I'm sure!" the first one spat. Finally, I decided to show myself and make them pay for saying such things. I shifted into a jaguar and crept out on the branch I was on, growling.

'_So, you think I'll befriend humans, do you?_' I hissed via telepathy. '_Then you're dead wrong._'

"Yamato!" they yelped, terrified. One shifted into an owl and tried to fly away, but I struck him down, and we landed with a thud on the forest floor. I swiftly killed him with a bite to the throat, and then glared back at the spot the other two were at, only to see that they had fled in the forms of monkeys as they climbed through the trees too quickly for me to follow. I growled again, still bitter that they got away, and then turned to head back to my den. I should start to keep a much closer eye on my surroundings and on that human now…

X*X(Taichi's POV)X*X

"Hey Taichi!" I heard my name being yelled, and turned to see my friends running over to me. It was Sora in the lead, followed by Joe and Izzy.

"Oh, hey guys!" I grinned as they slowed to a stop in front of me. "What's up?"

"We just wanted to see if you wanted to go to the creek and cool off," Sora smiled. I almost nodded, but I hesitated. I had really wanted to find **him** today. "What's wrong?" she asked when she noticed my hesitation.

"Well, you know…" I mumbled, hating the way they shook their heads in disapproval.

"Taichi, I highly doubt that it'll come out of hiding to see you again. I know for a fact that was just a fluke, and I'm certain that it was probably killed as payback for saving you," Izzy told me. I glared at him, furious.

"I know he's not dead! I just know he's not!" I yelled at them. A sudden rustling from the brush behind me sounded, and my friends whipped out their weapons right as a very large and angry lion burst from the trees, snarling. I froze in terror and fell flat on my ass before I could move, whereas my friends all bolted without me. As soon as they were gone, the lion calmly turned and disappeared back into the forest without a trace. Shakily, I got back to my feet, and then watched as a peregrine falcon flew off not too far from where the lion would have been and into the distance. I smiled knowingly when he vanished; I knew he wasn't dead, I just knew it. Smirking to myself, I made my way to the creek, where Sora, Izzy, and Joe were trying to recover from their fright earlier.

"Taichi! You're alive?!" Joe yelped. "How'd you escape from that shifter?!"

"He didn't go for me," I shrugged with a grin. My friends looked at each other in disbelief, and then I laughed. "I told you guys he was still alive!"

"That's impossible that he could have survived all this time like that, though!" Izzy protested. "From studies, shifters kill any and all rule-breakers!"

"Well, this one's different," I replied smugly.

"Whatever. As long as you're okay," Sora smiled at me in a flirtatious manner. I internally cringed; I wasn't too keen on having a girlfriend or anything. "So, you wanna cool off in the creek now?"

"Eh, maybe. I actually need to go soon and help out with Hikari, seeing as she's sick right now," I told them. "I should probably go now." They sighed, but smiled and waved to me as I left anyway. When I got home, I greeted my parents, who were currently fixing some lunch for Hikari.

"Hi Taichi," Hikari's voice sounded from the couch. I made a beeline to her, kneeling by her side as she read a book.

"How are you feeling?" I asked. She set down her book and smiled at me.

"I'm feeling a lot better today, Taichi," she assured me. Lowering her voice, she asked, "Did you see him today?"

"Actually, yeah," I grinned at her.

"Really?! Tell me what happened!" she begged.

"While I was looking for him, Izzy was telling me that he was probably killed for saving me when a big lion charged out of the woods. Sora, Izzy, and Joe ran for cover, and once they were gone, the lion returned to the forest, and then a peregrine falcon flew away from where the lion was at," I told her.

"I knew he was alive!" she cheered happily.

"Easy, now, Hikari," our father and village leader, Susumu, smiled as he came over with her lunch.

"You need to be calm so you'll recover faster," our mother, Yuuko, reminded her gently.

"But Mom, Dad! Taichi saw the shifter today!" my sister whined. Our parents looked at each other, and then at me, making me shift nervously. I knew my parents didn't completely approve of me trying to find the shifter that saved me, but I wanted to know why he saved me, and maybe even befriend him someday.

"Well, I guess since you're 18, it doesn't really matter now if you do or not," Dad sighed. "Just try not to get hurt, all right?"

"Thanks, Dad!" I thanked him gratefully, and Mom smiled.

"Speaking of which, we've got a surprise for you," she said, making me stare at them, confused.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Might as well tell him, Yuuko. He'll keep on begging until you do," Dad chuckled.

"We had a small house built for you near the area you always check for that shifter," Mom told me, and I gaped at her, shocked.

"Seriously?!" I yelped, and grinned, hugging both of my parents. "Thank you so much!"

"We even had the place furnished for you, so you can move in without much difficulty," Dad added. "If you want to, you can start packing now, and we'll help you with your things."

"That eager to have me out, huh?" I teased, and we all laughed, except for Hikari, who was pouting.

"Can't I go live with you, Taichi?" she pleaded, giving me her puppy-dog eyes. I chuckled, ruffling her hair gently.

"Sorry, Hikari, but I promise I'll visit," I promised her as she swatted my hands away. She sighed, but smiled anyway.

"All right, I guess it'll do," she said.

"Well, I'd best start getting packed, then," I shrugged, and went to my room to grab my things.

"We'll set up some boxes for you to put your things in," Dad called to me as I went upstairs.

"All right, thanks Dad!" I answered back, and began to grab my clothes, personal belongings, my katana, and other miscellaneous things. As I packed, I heard Mom getting our two horses ready with the cart to carry my things in. I managed to only fill two boxes, but was still satisfied that I had everything. Once we loaded them on the cart, Dad took the reins for the horses while Mom mounted my horse, Kazé, and Hikari and I climbed into the back with the boxes. I looked in surprise at my younger sister.

"You're coming with?" I asked, confused.

"Of course, Taichi! I wanna see your house, too!" she smiled brightly at me. I grinned back at her and ruffled her hair again, making her squeak and swat my hand away. "Taichi! Don't do that!" she whined, and I laughed, but then jumped a bit, slightly startled when a peregrine falcon raced by overhead with a loud screech, snatching a smaller falcon in midair before flying off to eat. I smiled to myself, thinking of the shifter that had saved me ten years ago, and what had happened that time…

X*X(10 Years Ago)X*X

I was playing with my friends near the edge of the forest, even though we weren't supposed to, when it had happened. A shifter had attacked in the form of a mountain lion, and while my friends ran for their lives, I had been attacked and dragged into the forest by its teeth. While it had been dragging me along, its bite had actually fractured my ankle, and so I couldn't escape, even if I wasn't being dragged along. Out of nowhere, however, another shifter, in the form of a gold and black striped tiger, slammed into the first, making it release me and smash into a tree. I watched, terrified, as the first shifter was brutally attacked by the tiger, but eventually, the tiger won. The loser shifted into an eagle and flew away, and then the tiger shifted into a horse before coming over to me and lowering himself to the ground. He helped nudge me onto his back, and then walked back to the village, where he took me home. I guess he was just following my scent trail, but the whole way there, the other villagers watched with fear and confusion. Shifters normally just eat humans, and there's never been an incident where a shifter actually saved a human.

The shifter who saved me helped me down when we got to my house, and then shifted into a peregrine falcon and flew away, back to the forest. My parents weren't sure what to make of it, which was why they didn't quite approve of me searching for him after that. But the point was that he had saved me, and had a reason for doing so. I don't know what that reason was, but I had a feeling he had good intentions for saving me.

X*X(Present)X*X

I was snapped out of my thoughts when the horses and cart jolted to a stop.

"All right, we're here!" Mom declared, and I looked in amazement to see a beautiful house at the edge of the forest.

"What do you think of it, Taichi?" Dad asked.

"It's amazing!" I cried out happily. Mom and Dad smiled at each other before Mom dismounted Kazé and carefully tied his reins to a tree branch while Dad climbed down from the driver's seat of the cart. I slid off the back of the cart and then helped Hikari down before we made our way over to the front door. Dad pulled a silver key out of his pocket and handed it to me before gesturing for me to unlock the door. I did so, and the door swung open, revealing a fully furnished and decorated living room as the entryway area. My jaw dropped as I walked in, looking at everything.

There was a small living room with a love seat, recliner with a throw blanket over the back of it, a fireplace in the corner, a coffee table in front of the love seat and two end tables, and some decorations placed here and there around the room, including some framed family pictures. I wandered into the kitchen, where it was fully equipped with all kinds of cooking supplies, an icebox, stove, and the like, and it was fully stocked with food and dishes, too.

"Go check out your room," Dad urged, and I nodded slowly before going up the stairs to the bedroom and gasping in shock when I saw it.

The walls were painted with amazing animal designs, all with a background of a starry night sky. There was an elegantly carved dresser and bedside table, and then there was a king-size bed against the back wall, placed so it was in the middle and not in a corner. It had a wooden bed frame that had wolves carved into the headboard, and thick quilts with various animals on the patches. Even the pillows had a moon on each one. Various family photos and even some drawings of Hikari's and mine were framed and hung on the walls. I turned to my family, grinning widely.

"This is amazing! How did you guys manage this without me knowing?" I asked.

"You're so easy to keep a secret from, Taichi, that's how," Mom giggled. "I'm glad you like it sweetie."

"Of course I do! I love it! How could I not?" I laughed. Dad ruffled my hair with a smile, and then patted my shoulder.

"Well, let's get your boxes into the living room, and then you can unpack on your own. I'm sure you want to be alone to admire your new home, huh?" he guessed, and I nodded eagerly before hugging my parents and sister tightly.

"Thank you guys so much," I whispered gratefully. We had a good hug session, and then Dad and I carried my boxes into the living room before they started to get ready to go. Before they left, Dad pointed out the small stable I could keep Kazé in during the times he needs to stay in. I thanked my family again before waving as they left, and then went inside to unpack. As I unpacked, I felt content with everything now, except for the fact that I still needed to find that shifter. I really wanted to find him, and see if I could try and talk to him.

Later that night, I had gotten Kazé in his stable and locked it, and had already eaten my dinner. I curled up in my new bed, feeling sort of lonely. Why, I didn't understand. Hopefully I would understand sometime soon.

X*X(Yamato's POV)X*X

I watched the human, named Taichi, from the windowsill while in the form of a barn owl. I could sense he was lonely, but it was understandable in his position. He had basically just left his family to live on his own. And NO, I'm not empathizing with him. I had been kicked out from my family, whereas he had chosen to leave early. I gave a soft hoot before flying to the tree hollow I had made my temporary home for while I watched over Taichi.

As for why I defended him earlier today and proved I was still alive to him and his little so-called "friends", I wanted to show that all shifters are different. I'm the most different one of all, considering I actually saved him ten years ago. All of the others would rather just kill and maybe eat them. I've lived on a strict diet of small animals and fruit all my life, occasionally stealing some of the crops from the human plots. I've never hunted their livestock before, only because I don't need to be harassed by the trouble it would bring me.

"Still watching over him, huh?" a familiar voice asked from the ground, and I sighed, shifting into a squirrel to climb down my tree a bit and speak to the shifter from a branch.

'_If you're going to speak to me, shift and we'll speak privately, lest you get caught,_' I pointed out to the violet-haired shifter. Ken nodded before shifting into a squirrel as well and quickly climbing up to join me.

'_Thanks for the tip,_' he told me as I nodded. '_I must say, I'm surprised you already killed someone, though._'

'_Assholes were jabbering about stupid shit,_' I muttered, twitching my tail. Ken gave me a confused look, so I was forced to elaborate. '_They accused me of wanting to befriend humans._'

'_Well, don't you want to become friends with him?_' he asked.

'_No, I don't. If he does see me and we get to talk, we'll merely be acquaintances,_' I snapped. Ken sighed, and I knew where he was about to go with our conversation. See, Ken had saved me shortly after I had been kicked out from my home with my parents when I was 13. I had been struggling to find food for myself, not completely familiar with hunting, so I was starving during the winter season, which was horrible. Ken had taken me in and fed me until I was fully recovered, and even taught me how to hunt. He saved my life, and I'm grateful for it, but we hadn't seen each other in a few years. He knew I was watching over Taichi, though, and knew about me saving him all those years ago.

'_Look, Yamato. I know you won't like this, but you should at least __**try**__ to form a bond with him. I've never seen it, but my parents told me when I was young about a very small number of shifters over time bonding with humans,_' Ken explained. '_It's not the humans' history because it wasn't here, but in other lands, so they don't know about it. But at least try. That's all I ask._'

'_No promises,_' I snorted.

'_Well, I'm sure something will make you go for it,_' he smirked. He then shifted into a great horned owl before bidding me farewell and flying off into the night. I shook my head in disbelief, and then climbed back into the hollow before curling up to sleep. We'll see who's right and who turns out to be wrong.

A/N: Okay, there's that chapter, completed! I'll try and work on Angels &amp; Demons after this, but only once I rest some more. No promises, since I'm really pumped about this fic! Pretty tired still, after all. R&amp;R, peeps!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Okay, now for chapter 2! Also, I apologize if chapter 1 was confusing in the beginning, didn't mean to confuse anyone. Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Shape Shifter

Chapter 2

X*X(1 Month Later)X*X

X*X(Taichi's POV)X*X

When I woke up in the morning, I felt great. And I felt well-rested, for once. I looked outside, still drowsy from just waking up, and saw that the sun was nearly at its high point in the sky. I yawned widely and stretched, and then swung my legs out of bed and padded to the bathroom. I finished using the toilet, and then got dressed in a t-shirt and some pants before heading downstairs to fix some late breakfast. I made some eggs and bacon, and then went out to feed Kazé when I was done eating. He nickered softly in greeting as I entered the stable, and I smiled at him.

"Hey boy, sleep well last night?" I asked, and he dipped his head with a nod. Kazé was a beautiful stallion, with a silvery mane and tail and a black, almost deep bluish body. Reminded me of a starry night sky almost. Anyway, I made sure to feed him his breakfast, which consisted of some hay, and even a small amount of oats. Not too much, though, or else he'd start to get fat if he depended on them as his main source of food. There was a small shuffling sound in the loft, and I looked up to see a golden-furred tomcat watching Kazé and me. His blue eyes seemed curious, but incredibly wary at the same time. I had a feeling about him…

"Hey, wanna come down? I won't hurt you," I offered to him, and he stiffened for a moment, but then slowly, carefully, climbed down the ladder for the loft. I reached out slowly to touch him when he was down on the ground and looking at me again, but a warning hiss stopped me. "All right, I won't touch you," I smiled, and the tomcat visibly relaxed. "Here, I'll fix you some food. Want to eat?"

The tomcat nodded, and I rubbed Kazé gently between his ears before leaving with the cat. When we reached the front door, the tomcat paused, seemingly nervous.

"It's okay, I won't hurt you, I promise," I swore to him, and after another minute of patiently waiting for the cat to come in, he followed me inside. I began to look through the fridge and cabinets, trying to find something suitable for us to eat. Meanwhile, out of the corner of my eye, I could see the cat looking around the house with interest while sitting on the table. I wonder… I decided to wait to find out. We'll see what happens.

X*X(Yamato's POV)X*X

I was merely feigning interest in my surroundings, but I was looking around, trying to find an escape route if necessary. I don't know what tempted me into following Taichi, or what made me listen to him when he offered me food. I wasn't hungry, and could easily fend for myself, but I guess I just wanted to learn more about him. And for some odd reason, something in me was telling me to speak to him. Remain in this form, don't reveal myself in my original form, but try and communicate. I fought that urge, nervous of what would happen if he knew. Though at this point, I was sure he knew. After all, what kind of normal stray cat would willingly follow a human into their home?

"Hey, you okay there?" Taichi's voice snapped me out of my thoughts, and I almost nodded at him, but then just decided to blink at him instead. "All right, as long as you're okay. Anyway, what sounds better? Salmon or chicken?" He held out the two meats, and I pretended like I needed to find out what he was saying. So I sniffed the chicken first, but then quickly went to the salmon, sniffing it and then nudging it towards him.

"Awesome, I'll cook it over the fire pit out back," he told me, and I followed him outside again as he unwrapped the salmon. I watched him as he prepared the piece of fish, sprinkling on seasonings and then cooking it on the grill of the fire pit. When it was done, he put in on a plate and had me follow him back inside, where he gave me a slice and put some on a small plate for himself. As he ate, I watched him, and then began to eat my own piece. It was definitely better than eating it raw. Finally, I decided to speak up, sort of.

'_You know what I am, don't you?_' I guessed, looking at Taichi. He blinked in surprise at me, obviously not realizing I could use telepathy.

"To be completely honest, yes," he nodded. "Are you the same one that saved me ten years ago?"

'_Yes,_' I confirmed. Taichi smiled brightly at me.

"You have no idea how long I've waited to meet you," he told me, sounding absolutely thrilled. "I wanted to thank you for saving me, all those years ago, and I've wanted to find and meet you ever since. The only one who has always supported me in my passion to want to find you is my younger sister…"

'_I know. I've been watching over you,_' I admitted, lowering my ears awkwardly.

"I thought so," he replied, his gaze softening. "I've had a feeling that you have been. Why did you save me that day?"

'…_Something in my heart told me to,_' I confessed after a short pause. I'd had to think about that one for a moment, and that was the honest truth.

"Thank you, for saving me and watching over me," he murmured, reaching over to stroke my head gently, which I let him do. "By the way, what's your name?"

'_Yamato Ishida,_' I answered, beginning to feel a little more comfortable, yet anxious at the same time. The end of my tail flicked nervously, and Taichi noticed this.

"Did you want to go outside again?" he asked, smiling kindly at me. I nodded, and he opened the door for me so I could go out. Once outside, I shifted into a golden-furred wolf, getting ready to head back to the forest. "Wait, you're leaving already?" the brunette questioned, surprised.

'_Yes. I don't belong here. I'll try and keep close, Taichi, but I can't afford to be caught,_' I explained.

"You won't be," he promised. "Hardly anyone comes this way because it's so far out."

'_I…don't know…_' I replied uncertainly. He slowly approached me, being careful not to scare me, and looked into my eyes.

"Yamato, I promise that I won't let anyone or anything hurt, capture, or harm you," he told me, and for some reason I can't even begin to fathom, I believed him.

'…_All right, I'll stay. But I can't always be around. I need to hunt for my own food,_' I reminded him. '_And please, don't tell anyone about me. I can't afford to be caught._'

"Fair enough," he smiled, and began to head back into his house. "Want to come back in? Or do you need to do something?"

'_I guess I'll join you and go inside,_' I sighed. Following him into his home, I wondered just what exactly I'd gotten myself into.

X*X(2 Months Later)X*X

X*X(Taichi's POV)X*X

Things between Yamato and me were going well. He seemed to be a little more lax as each day passed, but he had yet to reveal his original form to me, as well as sleep in the house. He always slept out in the tree hollow in the form of a barn owl, which was okay, except I couldn't understand why he felt so uncomfortable when I offered for him to sleep inside. He always said he was better off outside, and claimed it was more comfortable, but I had a hard time believing that. After all, who in the world would prefer sleeping in a tree hollow compared to a warm house? Well, I had no choice but to accept his words, lest he leave and never come back because he thinks I don't trust him. You'd think he'd at least sleep in the stables, though! It's a bit warmer in there compared to outside, at the bare minimum. Hopefully he'd start to sleep inside whenever it gets colder. That's my hope, anyway.

X*X(Yamato's POV)X*X

Gods, this was beginning to become difficult. I had been staying on Taichi's property for two months by now, and we spoke every day, bonding and becoming closer. It wasn't Taichi that was driving me insane; it was my current affections for him. Yes, I said it: I have fallen for Taichi Yagami. I know this will make things much more difficult for me if I don't tell him, but I just can't tell a human, as a shifter, that I've fallen for him! It goes against everything humans and shifters alike believe in. This is why I refuse to sleep in the house with him, as well as reveal my original, human form. I needed to speak to Ken, and soon. Hopefully he'd come by tonight. I needed answers, and he's the best guy for it.

X*X(That Night)X*X

'_Yamato?_' I instantly perked up from where I was lying on the tree branch outside of Taichi's home, looking for where Ken was. Finally, I spotted him at the base of the tree, in the form of a cat.

'_Ken, thanks gods you're here,_' I thought to him urgently as he scaled the tree until he was on my branch.

'_I sensed something was up,_' he replied simply. '_What's going on?_'

'_I've gotten close to Taichi, and I think I've become too close,_' I began.

'_What do you mean?_'

Looking around, I gestured to climb higher, where no one could see us, and he followed me up to the hidden spot, where I shifted into my human form. I tucked my blonde hair behind my ears and waited for Ken to shift into his human form before speaking. He watched me with his own blue eyes as his violet hair fluttered occasionally with the night breeze.

"I think—no, I know I've fallen in love with Taichi," I told him. Ken's eyes widened before he smiled happily at me, which confused the hell out of me. "What are you smiling for?"

"This is amazing, Yamato," he started, but I growled at him.

"No, it's not! I can't be in love with a human, Ken, you and I both know that!" I hissed.

"And why the fuck not?" he spat with a frustrated expression.

"Because it goes against what the humans and shifters believe!" I snapped. "If I were to become mated to him, who the fuck knows what could happen!"

"You would be happy for once in your life, that's what!" Ken snarled, which made me pause. He was right, I would be happy, but I highly doubt he felt the same.

"But he doesn't feel the same, I just know it," I sighed, lowering my head. Ken's gaze softened at my uncertainty, and he placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Have you asked him that?" he questioned.

"No, but…I'm scared he won't love me back," I mumbled, my tone sounding miserable.

"Look, Yamato. It's okay to be scared, but you need to take the chance. Otherwise you risk stressing yourself out too much to the point where you can't handle it anymore. And you'll just be hurting yourself and eventually Taichi," he told me softly. I nodded, knowing he was right, and then broke down for the first time since I was abandoned as a young shifter. I shook from the force of the sobs wracking my body, and Ken merely embraced me and soothed me as I cried. I couldn't believe that this had happened. How could I have fallen in love with a human? I didn't know how I had gotten myself involved so deeply…

"Ken, I don't know what to do," I whispered once I'd calmed down enough.

"Just tell him," the violet-haired shifter urged.

"I will, eventually," I muttered, wiping my tears from my eyes. Ken nodded, and then let me go.

"It'll have to do," he smiled gently at me. "I'd better get going, or else I might get caught myself."

"All right. Thank you, Ken," I told him softly. He nodded in acknowledgment before shifting into an owl and flying off to his den. I shifted into a squirrel before returning to my own nest, curling up, and going to sleep.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

"Yamato? Yamato, you there?" a familiar voice hissed up to me. My tiny squirrel ears twitched, and then I raised my head, yawning widely as I tried to wake up. Finally, I bridged the connection to Taichi.

'_Yeah, I'm here. What's wrong?_' I asked, poking my head out of my hollow.

"I just wanted to warn you that my friends are visiting, so don't come into the house. I pretended that I'm going to feed Kazé so they don't suspect anything," he whispered to me, just loud enough for me to hear.

'_Thanks for the warning. Just let me know when they're gone,_' I told him, and he smiled at me before nodding.

"Will do, Yamato," he grinned, and then quickly left to feed his stallion. When he returned to go inside of his house, I watched, and then crawled out onto a branch to watch him from a safe distance. Out of nowhere, a shout of, "Get it, Screech!" sounded, and I yelped in terror as a hawk dove at me. I glared at the stupid bird, but couldn't do anything because I didn't want to reveal myself. I quickly hid in the tree hollow, and watched from its safety as a redheaded girl scowled at my tree.

"Dammit, stupid squirrel," she spat.

"Sora, leave it alone. This is my property, after all," Taichi reminded her, and she gave him a sheepish yet flirtatious look.

"Sorry, Taichi," she apologized in a flirty tone. "Just thought that Screech could use a snack," she explained. Oh, if she wants to have her stupid bird play, then I'll play… I quickly ran out into the forest, scaling a pine tree a few yards in before shifting into a peregrine falcon. I hurriedly took to the air and flew as fast as I could at the hawk, smacking into it hard as it hovered nearby the girl. It gave a loud screech as I attacked it, digging my talons in mercilessly.

"Screech, NO!" the girl, Sora, screamed, panic evident in her voice. I screeched furiously at the hawk, finally delivering a harsh blow to its left wing before flying off to the forest again. I was furious; how **dare** she attack me, and then flirt with **my** human?! Wait a sec… MY human? What the hell is wrong with me? Gah, this is too much…

Later on, when things weren't noisy at the house anymore, I returned in the form of a cat again, hiding out in the stable until Taichi came to talk to me. He soon entered the stable, slamming the door open and then slamming it shut again.

"Yamato! I need to talk to you, **now**," he growled, and I quite visibly flinched when he slammed a fist against the wall, making his horse jump slightly. I slowly crawled out from the hay that I had been hiding in, my ears flat against my head with fear, worry, and panic. I approached him fearfully, terrified of the consequences, and tried to explain myself.

'_Taichi…I…I'm sorry…_' I thought to him, but he shook his head.

"Dammit Yamato, that was Sora's hunting hawk! He would catch prey for us in harsher times!" he snapped at me. I began to fluff up, becoming defensive.

'_Well how the hell was I supposed to know that?! I'm not human, Taichi, I don't know your culture as well as you do!_' I growled. '_And besides that, she sent that stupid hawk after me, and then called me stupid!_'

"She doesn't know you're a shifter, Yamato!" he argued back. "If she knew that you were one, then she—"

'_She would have killed me on the spot!_' I yelled back, cutting him off. '_Taichi, you seem to forget that you're the only one that cares about me, despite the fact that I'm a shifter. No one else cares. They wouldn't hesitate to have me killed._' That seemed to make him fizzle out, and I nodded at him, glaring. '_That's what I thought._'

"There's more to it than that, though, I know there is," the brunette muttered, making me stiffen. "You wouldn't have attacked Screech so viciously for just that. What's your other reasoning?" I looked away, internally debating if I should tell him how I truly feel. "Please, just tell me, Yamato. I don't want any lies between us."

'…_She was flirting with you,_' I mumbled, not looking at him, instead just glaring at the floor.

"Why does that bother you? I don't like her like that," he said, confused.

'_It bothers me because I love you!_' I shouted at him, and then froze with a horrified expression on my face. Before anything else could said or done, I shifted into a wolf and ran as fast as I could out of the stable and into the forest.

"Yamato! Yamato, come back!" Taichi screamed after me, and I could hear him trying to chase after me. I pushed myself to run faster, further away. I needed to get away…

A/N: Damn, that was intense. O.O; Anyhoo, I hope you liked this, despite the cliffy! R&amp;R, peeps!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Awesome, another chapter, ready to start! And I apologize for the cliffy in the last chapter, but this should help. Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Shape Shifter

Chapter 3

X*X(Taichi's POV)X*X

"Yamato! Yamato, come back!" I screamed after him. I ran after him, panicking because I'd hurt him. I didn't realize he loves me, or else I wouldn't have pushed him so hard. I love him, too, but I didn't get to say it before he bolted. I ran as fast as I could, trying to figure out where he'd gone, screaming his name.

'_Looking for Yamato, are you?_' a voice sneered in my mind. I skidded to a stop, petrified at the thought of running into a shifter other than Yamato. '_You must be that human he's been protecting and watching over. Well, he's not gonna miss you once you're gone._'

"Wait, what?" I gasped, but then gasped in horror as the rogue shifter, in the form of a large lion, stepped out of the shade of the trees, a malicious and hungry gleam in his eyes. He swiped a paw at me, striking me before I could move to dodge, and slammed me into a tree and making me give a pained cry. Then he crunched his fangs down on the lower part of my left leg, causing me to shriek in agony.

"YAMATO!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, desperate for him to help me, save me, anything! Out of nowhere, a gold and black striped tiger smashed into the lion with an enraged roar, ripping him off of my leg and ripping another scream from me.

'_**LEAVE HIM ALONE!**_' the tiger snarled with pure rage, hatred, and malice. '_HE'S MINE!_' I gasped in pain and realization that it had to be Yamato.

"Y…Yamato…" I breathed, flinching and shuddering heavily from the severe pain in my leg. I barely managed to watch as Yamato ripped into the lion, practically shredding him to pieces. Once the other shifter was dead, Yamato began to approach me, but I passed out before he reached me.

X*X(Yamato's POV)X*X

Oh no. Oh gods, no! I shifted into my human form, which thankfully still allowed me to be dressed in a shirt and shorts, before picking Taichi up and carrying him back to his home. I managed to get him home and into the house so I could begin to treat his wounds. It was mainly his left calf that was injured, so I started on that, ripping off the pant leg so it wouldn't be in the way. I carefully cleaned it up, found his needles and thread for stitching, and began to stitch the gashes on his calf up while he was unconscious. I managed to bandage it completely, which would allow it to heal better, and then I checked him over for any other injuries. He only had minor scratches and such on his arms and side, but I gently cleaned and bandaged them anyway. Once I was finished, I carried him to the bedroom, where I carefully set him on the bed to rest. I gently covered him with a thin blanket, and then began my wait for him to wake up.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

It was a long wait, maybe a whole day, and then I decided to sit on the bed with him. I had been warring with myself, uncertain if I had the right to, even though I love him. As I sat there, I finally worked up the courage to gently run my fingers through his wild brown hair.

"Please, wake up, Taichi. You need to wake up," I whispered, tears forming in my eyes. I was terrified that I might have been too late, but when he began to stir, mumbling something in his sleep, my heart leaped.

"Ya…ma…to…" he whimpered, and I looked down at him, shocked. I didn't think he'd say my name. Slowly, his chocolate brown eyes opened, and he gazed at me, confused. He then squinted at me before his eyes widened in surprise.

"Yamato? You're in human form?" he asked. I nodded, and he smiled slightly at me. "You've never shown me your original form before."

"I needed to be human to be able to clean and bandage your wounds," I explained with a shrug. "Kinda hard to do with paws."

"But, why did you stay? I thought you didn't want to be around me anymore after what happened before you fled…" he murmured.

"Taichi, do you remember what happened before you passed out?" I questioned, blinking at him.

"Only that you saved me, and said something about how I'm yours," Taichi replied.

"That's exactly right. I was, and still am, terrified you won't love me back, but I couldn't leave you to die," I explained.

"What if I told you that I do love you back?" he whispered, trying to sit up. I gently pushed him back down against the mattress, and began to sit up so I could leave, this time for good.

"I'd rather not deal with the 'what if's' and get my hopes up…" I sighed, starting to walk away, but then a firm hand gripping my wrist stopped me. I looked back at him, my heart thundering in my chest.

"I'm not trying to play with you, Yamato. I do mean it. I love you, and I don't care that you're a shifter. You're still perfect," he smiled at me. My sapphire blue eyes widened in shock, and I stared at him. That is, until he pulled me over to him so I was halfway lying on his chest, my hands on either side of him. And then it happened. He kissed me.

I froze, startled at first, but then kissed him back after a few seconds. As we kissed, I felt goose bumps form all over my skin, and a chill ran down my spine, making me shiver. It was just that amazing for me. We eventually parted, and I gazed at Taichi with glazed eyes.

"Yama…I love you," Taichi breathed with a soft smile, and pulled me close to him so that my back was against him, and my head was resting on his chest. He began to move his left leg, but gasped in pain when he did, and I quickly tried to sit up, but he kept me held to him.

"Sorry, sorry!" I apologized quickly, feeling the heat of a blush come over my cheeks.

"Don't worry, Yama, it's okay. I just forgot that my leg is badly injured," he assured me, and I couldn't help but snuggle closer to him.

"Then it looks like I'll have to help you to recover," I grinned at him. "And what's with the nickname?"

"I just like it. It's sexy," he smirked, and I blushed again.

"I'd smack your shoulder, but you're hurt, so that would be mean," I told him, rolling my eyes. Taichi chuckled as he kissed the top of my head.

"Yes, that would be very mean," he grinned at me. After a few minutes of comfortable silence between us, I looked up at him.

"So…does this mean we're mates?" I questioned uncertainly.

"'Mates'?" he repeated, confused. "What do you mean?"

"We're…bonded. You know, like partners," I tried to explain. "That's what it's called for shifters, anyway."

"Oh, you mean dating?" he guessed, but I didn't know what that was, so I shrugged. "Dating is when two guys, two girls, or a girl and a guy become partners. Sometimes it doesn't always work out, but it typically does. And when they feel ready to stay together for life, then they become married. I guess being married the same as being mated."

"So, for now, we're just courting?" I asked, still puzzled and feeling a slight twinge of disappointment.

"No, of course not, Yama! We're mates, and that's because I'd never leave you," he promised. I hummed happily as I cuddled even closer to him, content with that answer. He gave a nervous noise, and I looked up at him curiously.

"What's wrong?"

"Well, if we're going to be together, I can't keep you a secret anymore. You'd need to at least meet my parents and then the villagers," he told me, shifting uncomfortably. I stared at him, but then slowly nodded once in understanding. He was right; besides, it wouldn't be fair to make me hide out whenever his family or friends visited him. But still, even though I understood his reasoning, didn't mean it would make things any easier or less awkward.

"…I understand," I mumbled, lowering my gaze.

"Yama, it'll be okay. Once my parents see how much we care for and love each other, then my dad will make sure the rest of the village accepts you. After all, he's the village leader, and they know you're different," he pointed out. I nodded, still apprehensive. "Look, would it make you feel better if they came over here instead of us going there?"

"That would help, yes," I nodded, feeling bad about all the hassle. He kissed the top of my head again, trying to comfort me.

"Don't worry too much, Yama. I love you so much, and I want my family to see that nothing will change that," he soothed. "Here, let me up, and I'll send a messenger bird right now."

"I didn't know you had a messenger bird," I said, getting up to get him some paper and a pen.

"Yeah, his name is Sky," he told me. "I don't have to use him often, so he's normally just out and about, hunting." The brunette sat up with a grunt, and then gave a shrill, piercing whistle, making me wince slightly. "Sorry about that, it's the only way to call him." A bird's cry sounded from outside, and then a bald eagle landed on the windowsill, waiting patiently. Taichi wrote out his message for his family, and I read it over his shoulder.

'Dear Mom and Dad,

Mind coming over tomorrow? I'll try and be awake before you come over. I need to talk to you both about something important, so please bring Hikari with you. I know she'll be able to understand. Besides, it's been far too long, about a month, since you've visited. I can't wait to see you!

Love, Taichi'

I smiled, knowing this meant a lot to us both, and when he was finished, I rolled it up and tied it with a dark blue ribbon before handing it to Sky for him. The eagle took the paper in one of its feet.

"Take that to Mom and Dad, okay Sky?" Taichi told the eagle, and it nodded before flying off with just a few beats of its powerful wings. I was suddenly reminded of Screech, Sora's hawk, and I lowered my head, still feeling bad for that one. "What's on your mind, Yama?"

"I still feel bad about killing Screech," I mumbled, not looking at him. "If it wasn't for that, then you wouldn't be hurt…"

"But hey, we now know how we feel about the other, and that's what matters," he assured me. "Besides, you were right about Sora; she flirts with me too much, and that's why I don't like her as anything more than a friend. Though that'll probably be gone soon once she finds out about us."

"Sorry…" I apologized. I yelped in shock, however, when the brunette yanked me onto him on the bed. "Taichi…what are you—"

"Just stop apologizing," he growled, and kissed me lightly on the lips. "It's not that bad. She can get a new bird. And as for our friendship, it's not been the same since she started trying to flirt with me. I've always pretended to be oblivious, that's all. So when she tried flirting with me before you attacked Screech, I already knew it, but I was ignoring her."

"Oh…"

"Don't worry," he soothed. "There was no way for you to know that." He kissed me again, but when I pulled back, he gave me a confused look.

"Would you mind telling me about your family?" I asked.

"Of course!" he grinned. "Okay, so first there's my younger sister, Hikari. She's really nice, and has always truly supported me in trying to find you. When I made that choice, my parents were apprehensive of my decision, but Hikari trusted me and my judgment. She's a very kind person, and isn't judgmental at all. So I know you'll win her over with ease. Next is my mother, Yuuko. She's very nice, and rather bubbly. Like I said, she wasn't as trusting as Hikari with my choice, but once I moved out, both Mom and Dad accepted that I wouldn't change my mind. And finally, there's my father, Susumu. He's the village leader, and has amazing skills as a craftsman, as well as awesome decision-making skills. He's a good guy, and will also end up trusting you, too."

"Wow…I hope you're right," I murmured, hoping everything would go smoothly tomorrow.

"What about you? Tell me about your family," Taichi requested, but I shook my head.

"My parents abandoned me when I was 13," I muttered. "That was 72 years ago, so there's not really anything to tell."

"Wait, you're 85? How are you still able to look so young?" the brunette yelped, shocked.

"Shifters are immortal. I'm still technically pretty young compared to most shifters, anyway. Most are in their hundreds. For every year that you age, it takes me five to age the same amount. In equivalence to human age, I'd be about your age. That's if I were a normal human, that is," I explained with an embarrassed blush. Taichi looked a little shell-shocked, but recovered quickly.

"So, why did your family abandon you when you were so young?" he questioned, changing the subject.

"I'm not sure. I just know I wasn't very close to either of my parents. I have no siblings, so it was just the three of us. It was probably because we weren't very close that they just left without me," I mumbled. Taichi gently ran his fingers through my hair before kissing my nose.

"How did you survive?" he wondered aloud.

"Because of a good friend of mine," I answered, thinking of Ken. "He took me in the year I was abandoned during the winter when I was starving from not being able to hunt. I hadn't been taught to hunt in the snow by that point, so Ken, the shifter who helped me, taught me. He also raised me until I was 21, by which point I was able to fend for myself. So that's when I left, hunting only small animals and eating fruit from the forest, which was how he taught me to survive. He also doesn't hunt or kill humans. He doesn't interact with them, to be honest. But anyway, if I was having a really difficult time trying to find food, which was rare, I would sometimes, um, take a few pieces of fruit from the food stores here."

"Hey, that's okay. You had to survive," Taichi reassured me. "Is there anything else in your past that you want to share?"

"Not really. There's nothing until the day I saved you, and then I began to watch over you after I saw you being beaten up by those older guys 3 years ago."

"Ah, yeah, I remember that day…" he sighed.

"Why were they beating you up? Especially if you're the village leader's son," I asked, tilting my head to the side slightly.

"Only because I defended one of my friends earlier that day from them," he replied. A sudden cry from outside sounded, and then Sky landed on the windowsill, a new letter in his beak. "Awesome, Dad must have replied back." I went over and took the letter from his beak before handing it to Taichi.

"Let's see what he said," I said, feeling nervousness flutter in my stomach. Taichi unrolled the letter and then read it aloud to me.

"Dear Taichi,

Of course we'll visit tomorrow! I certainly hope nothing's wrong. And we'll definitely bring Hikari. She's been eager to see you for a while now. We should be there tomorrow by sunrise. See you tomorrow.

Love, Mom"

"Great, they already think something's wrong," I groaned. "Wait until they see your leg…"

"Oh please, Yama," Taichi snorted. "I've had worse. At least it's not broken."

"I'd rather have someone check, just to be safe," I grumbled.

"Who the hell could possibly check on my leg? No one knows except us," the brunette pointed out.

"Well…Ken could. He's pretty good with healing," I suggested. "I could easily have him come over. Will you be okay for five minutes?"

"I'd rather you stay here…" he muttered. I sighed before kissing his lips lightly.

"I want to stay, too, but I'll be quick. I just need to howl for him," I said. And with that, I ran downstairs, out the door and into the forest, where I shifted into a wolf and howled in my signature way. Ken would hear it, of that I was certain. I ran back in wolf form to be with Taichi, and then shifted back before climbing onto the bed with him.

"That was pretty quick," he remarked. I shrugged before snuggling up to him.

"I know he heard me, so he'll be here soon," I told him.

'_Yamato?_' Ken's voice echoed in my mind. '_I'm at the windowsill. Let me in, would ya?_' I quickly scrambled over to see a bluish-violet bird looking in through the window. I opened it and let him in, allowing him to shift once he was on the floor.

"Thanks for letting me in, Yamato," he thanked me. Looking at Taichi, he gained a knowing look in his eyes. "Judging by the fact that you're in human form and with Taichi, I'm going to take a guess and say that you're mates now?"

"That's right," I nodded. "But right now, I need you to check Taichi's leg to see if there's anything else that can be done. I don't know if I did everything right, and it's been a day since I dressed his wound."

"All right, well, this is a good time to do it. It looks ready for a changing," he said, and carefully un-bandaged Taichi's left calf. Looking it over, he asked me to bring him the medical supplies, and then he gently cleaned it when I did. Once finished, he re-bandaged it with clean bandages, and then nodded in satisfaction. "Well, it looks fine. Coming along nicely, I'd say. You did well, Yamato."

"Thanks, Ken," I told him gratefully. "I didn't want anyone else to check because no one else in the village knows about me except for Taichi."

"That's understandable," he nodded. "And don't hesitate to call me again if you need me, you hear? I'm going to leave, but try and behave, the both of you."

"Don't worry, Ken, we'll be okay," I promised, and he smiled.

"I believe you. It was nice to meet you, Taichi. I'm sure we'll see each other again soon," he said, and then shifted into a small bird before flying off out the window. Once he was gone, I collapsed on the bed next to Taichi.

"Feel better?" the brunette smirked, and I pouted at him.

"Yes I do, thank you very much," I muttered. He kissed my nose lightly with a smirk still on his lips, and then his stomach growled. I laughed from the sound, but then my own stomach growled, making me blush.

"Food?" he asked, and I nodded.

"I can't cook, I can only hunt, so is fruit okay? Because I have a feeling you'd rather not eat a squirrel raw," I pointed out.

"Sounds fine by me," he smiled. "There's some already in the kitchen, so you won't need to go out and forage for any."

"Thank gods. I didn't want to leave you again, anyway," I sighed in relief, and then slid off the bed again to go and get some fruit from the kitchen. As I looked through his refrigerator, I noticed some leftover chicken that was already fully cooked, just cold now from being in the fridge, on one of the shelves. I pulled it out along with a small variety of fruits, such as an apple, a pear, and an orange. When I returned to Taichi's room, I handed him the apple, and I took the pear for myself.

"Thanks, Yama," he grinned at me, and took a bite from the apple. Once he swallowed it, he asked, "Yama, would you please sleep in here tonight? You know, share the bed with me. I'd really rather you sleep in bed with me than sleep out in that stupid hollow in the tree…"

"Of course, Taichi," I agreed compliantly, feeling a twinge of nervousness about sharing his bed with him. Instead of saying anything, though, I pulled the chicken out of the bag it was in and handed a small piece to Taichi.

"Oh, I forgot about that leftover chicken," he said, and took the piece from my fingers. "Thank you for sharing the bed with me, Yama," he added, kissing my cheek. "I've always felt bad about you sleeping outside, where it's colder. That's part of why I asked."

"What's the other part?" I questioned, blinking at him in confusion.

"Well, since we're mates now, and I love you, it's only right that we sleep together," he pointed out. "And it feels really nice to have you next to me in bed."

"Ah, gotcha," I nodded in understanding. When we finished eating, I helped Taichi to change out of his tattered clothing from his attack and into some sleeping clothes. He called them pajamas, which I didn't understand, but what the hey. As I snuggled close to him under the blankets, the brunette kissed the top of my head softly before turning off the light.

"Goodnight, Yama. I love you, and will see you in the morning," he whispered, holding me close.

"G'night, Taichi. Love you, too," I mumbled tiredly, and we fell asleep together, content in the other's arms.

A/N: Damn, I'm just cranking these out! This was a good chapter, and I'm happy that this one ended the way it did. I'll hopefully have another chapter out in a couple days time, too. R&amp;R, peeps!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I just realized how much of a uke I'm making Yamato. *shrugs* Ah well, nothing to be done now. Anyhoo, this is where Susumu, Yuuko, &amp; Hikari visit and meet Yamato! As well as learn about his new relationship with their son/brother… Will they accept the relationship or disapprove of it? Is it even allowed? Read to find out… Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Shape Shifter

Chapter 4

X*X(Yamato's POV)X*X

When I woke up the next morning, it was to Taichi gently running his fingers through my hair. I slowly opened my eyes, and then snuggled closer, loving the feeling of being close to him. Taichi pressed a kiss to the top of my head, and I sighed with content.

"Someone's happy," he remarked, and I looked up at him with a small smile.

"Of course I am. I have no reason to be anything but happy when I'm with you," I said. Taichi smiled back at me, and then shifted slightly, as though he needed to move. "What's wrong?"

"I need to pee," he told me, looking embarrassed. I just laughed lightly, and then crawled out of bed to help him to the bathroom. Once inside, I made sure to hold him up as he started to pull his pajama pants down.

"Wait, Yama. Can you wait outside? I'll holler when I'm done," he asked.

"Nope. Look, if you're worried about me seeing your manhood, it's fine. I've seen it before with other shifters," I told him. He blushed heavily, but quickly pulled his pants and boxers down. Nevertheless, I looked away out of courtesy as he peed. Once he was finished and had managed to pull his boxers and pants back up, he flushed the toilet and looked at me.

"Thanks for not looking, Yama," he thanked me gratefully. I merely kissed his cheek and helped him back to the bedroom, where I aided him in getting dressed. It was rather good timing, though, because as soon as we got downstairs and I had him carefully resting on the love seat with a few pillows propping him up, there was a series of knocks on the door. "Yama, go ahead and turn into a cat. You can reveal yourself when I tell you to. I don't want my family demanding answers from us wanting to know who you are and where you came from." His voice was low and urgent so they didn't hear us outside.

"Gotcha," I nodded, and shifted into a small blonde cat before curling up on the arm at the end of the love seat.

"Come in!" Taichi called, and then the door opened, and his family came in. "Hey guys," he greeted them, and his parents were quick to come over to the love seat.

"Taichi, why didn't you answer the door yourself?" Yuuko asked.

"Is something wrong?" Susumu questioned worriedly. Hikari, however, noticed me and gave me a knowing look while behind her parents. I quickly bridged a telepathic connection to her.

'_Don't tell them!_' I thought to her urgently. '_They can't be told right this second. We'll tell them while you're all here, but just wait._' She gave a tiny nod, acknowledging my words.

"Don't worry, I'll be okay," Taichi assured his parents.

"What do you mean?" Yuuko demanded worriedly, putting her hands on her hips. Taichi sighed heavily, so I knew it was coming.

"Okay, first off, please tell me you guys are unarmed right now," he said.

"Of course," Susumu nodded. "Shifters never attack the village. Why?"

"Well… It's hard to explain without you guys jumping to conclusions," the brunette began. "But I need to tell you, so please don't freak out. Anyway, you know that shifter I've been searching for?"

"Of course, the one that saved you ten years ago," Yuuko nodded. "What about it?"

"I finally got to meet him," Taichi said. His parents stared at him, surprised, but didn't say anything, so he continued. "I met him two months ago, and he's actually very nice. He doesn't hunt humans, only small animals, and he'll forage for fruit."

"Wait one second, you managed to talk to a shifter? How?" Yuuko asked.

"Shifters use telepathy while in animal forms," he explained. "But anyway, his name is Yamato Ishida, and he's been living here for the past two months."

"Why didn't you tell anyone?!" Susumu demanded.

"Because I didn't want him hunted down and killed! Besides, I asked him to stay!" Taichi snapped. "And I know that's what would have happened if I told anyone!"

"Is he the one who attacked Screech and killed him?" his mother questioned.

"Yes, but he had a reason for it," my mate growled.

"And that reason would be…?" his father trailed off, leaving the question hanging.

"Well, I'll get to that. Basically, we fought, he told me why he attacked Screech, and then ran off. I tried to follow him, but a rogue shifter attacked me while I was in the forest. Before it could kill me, Yamato attacked the rogue and killed him, and then brought me back home and tended to my wounds. I was unconscious the whole time once the other shifter was killed. But anyway, he stayed with me until I woke up, and has been taking care of me. I was unconscious for a day, but he stayed anyway," Taichi told his parents.

"Where is he now?" Yuuko asked, confused. I decided to shift back at that moment, jumping down from the end of the love seat, going over to be by Taichi, and shifting back to my human form.

"Right here," I said.

"I knew it!" Hikari grinned. I smiled back at her.

"Thanks for not blowing my cover, Hikari," I thanked her. She merely smiled back at me.

"Well, it's nice to finally meet you, Yamato," she greeted, and shook my hand.

"Nice to meet you, too," I told her. I looked warily back at Taichi's parents, who appeared extremely alarmed by my presence. "I'm sorry Taichi didn't tell you sooner, but I asked him not to tell anyone about my presence here, and he agreed."

"Wait, so you're the same shifter that saved Taichi 10 years ago?" Susumu questioned, confused. "But you'd have been young as well! How did you manage that?"

"Shifters are immortal. For every year a human ages, it takes five for a shifter to age that much. I'm only 85, whereas many shifters are in their hundreds," I explained. "I'm actually at the same physical age as Taichi. So since he's 18, I'm physically 18."

"That makes sense," Hikari nodded.

"But why did you attack Screech?" Yuuko wondered aloud. "Neither of you has told us that yet."

"Part of it was because I was in the form of a squirrel in the tree outside and Screech attacked me," I admitted. "But there's more to it."

"What do you mean?" Susumu said, confused.

"This is the big part of why Yamato will be living here with me," Taichi started. "I love him, and he loves me." There was a long, awkward silence and stares directed at us following my mate's words, and I began to feel uncomfortable. I could tell Taichi was, too. Finally, he spoke up. "Are you mad?" His mother was quick to speak.

"No, of course not, Taichi!" Yuuko yelped. "To be honest, I had a feeling you were gay, but I never suspected this. It's just…it's surprising, is all."

"It does make sense that you're gay, though," Susumu agreed. "Especially seeing as you've always ignored Sora's flirtatious behavior."

"And I'm glad you're with Yamato!" Hikari chimed in. "He's a great guy, even if he is a shifter."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I huffed, but Hikari merely giggled.

"I just mean that you're an even better fit for Taichi than anyone else, and you'll be able to better watch over and protect him now," she smiled. I smiled back once I understood.

"She's right," Susumu nodded.

"Let me guess, though. The other reason you attacked Screech was revenge because of Sora's flirting, huh?" Hikari guessed, and I nodded, looking down with shame.

"Don't worry about it, Yamato," Susumu told me. I looked back up at him, confused. "Sora was never really attached to Screech like she should have been. She tended to neglect him, hence letting him try to hunt you. The only reason she was upset was because she now needs another hunting bird."

"I think she may already know I'm a shifter," I sighed.

"Well, we'll find out in a few months' time, once Taichi's leg is healed," Yuuko replied. "After all, you'll need to be introduced to the villagers by then. And they'll accept you. If they wrong you in any way, Yamato, don't hesitate to let any of us know. We'll take care of it. By the way, is his leg broken?"

"No, thankfully. I had a friend of mine who helped raise me check last night. Don't worry, he's very trustworthy, and he's the one who taught me to not hunt humans," I explained. Susumu nodded and smiled before looking outside, where the sun was sitting halfway to noon in the sky.

"I'll bet you two are hungry, huh?" he said suddenly, and then both Taichi's and my stomachs growled. I blushed, embarrassed, whereas Taichi gave an awkward laugh. "I'll take that as a yes. Neither of you ate breakfast, huh?"

"Actually, you guys got here before we could eat," my mate told them.

"And I don't know how to cook," I mumbled. "I only hunt and forage normally."

"Then I can teach you," Yuuko offered, and I nodded. Hikari hugged me suddenly with a happy noise, and I hugged her back when my surprise went away.

"I'm so happy that you and Taichi met and are together," she told me.

"Same here," I replied, a small smile on my face. Yuuko then grabbed my arm gently and guided me to the kitchen, where she proceeded to rifle through his fridge, trying to find something to cook up for us all. Finally, she straightened up, holding a package of what looked to me like thin strips of meat and some eggs.

"I guess bacon and eggs will do for now," she sighed. "Good thing we brought some food with us to keep you boys fed."

"Thank you, Yuuko," I murmured thankfully.

"No worries, Yamato," she assured me, and then began to cook the meat in one pan, and the eggs in another.

"So, I gotta ask, what's that meat there?" I asked curiously. Yuuko gave me a surprised look before answering.

"It's called bacon, and it's from pork," she told me simply. I nodded in understanding. "The way to tell if it's fully cooked is by looking at the color of it. If it's red instead of pink and the white has become somewhat clear, then it's done. And with eggs, it depends on how they're cooked. In this case, I'm making them scrambled," she explained as she stirred the eggs up in a bowl with some milk and seasonings. The yolks were mixing well with other stuff in the bowl, thanks to the utensil she was using. "When cooking scrambled eggs, just make sure to sort of chop at them with the spatula often. That way they don't stay in one big lump. And once they're all solid with no dark spots, then they're done. It's also okay if they're a little bit juicy; that just means there was too much milk mixed in with them." I nodded again, almost wanting to shift so I could get closer and watch. I didn't want to be practically breathing down her neck, after all. Instead, I just watched from her side, trying not to get too close since the bacon spit grease at me once already. Finally, she pulled the bacon out of the pan and put the strips on a plate that had paper towels on it to absorb the grease, and then scooped the eggs into a bowl.

"Taichi, I'll bring you your breakfast," she called out to him, and put some eggs and a few strips of bacon on a plate for him and brought it out to the brunette with a fork. I followed, the delicious scent of the hot bacon starting to become irresistible. Once my mate was eating, Yuuko got me a plate set up, and I quickly began to eat, enjoying how Yuuko's cooking tasted.

It was basically a very good visit from Taichi's family, and when they left, we curled up in bed together that night.

"Let's hope that everyone in the village takes us being together as well as your family did," I murmured as I snuggled up to the brunette.

"We'll have to see. I know for a fact not everyone will be happy about it, but they'll have to deal with it," Taichi replied softly. He kissed the top of my head lightly before kissing my lips. "Let's get some sleep, Yama. I love you so much…"

"Love you, too, Taichi," I whispered as he turned out the light. "G'night…"

X*X(2 Months Later)X*X

Taichi's leg was fully healed by this time, but even though he had a couple of physical scars on there, there were still no psychological scars from his attack, thankfully. But unfortunately, since Taichi was all healed and could walk on his own again, we had to be announced to the village. I was NOT looking forward to it, and neither was Taichi, but it had to be done, which sucked.

I was walking along Taichi in the form of a blonde-furred wolf, feeling very disgruntled about the whole deal.

'_This fucking bites,_' I thought to Taichi as he rode on his horse, Kazé.

"It's okay, Yama. My family will be there, and they'll make sure nothing happens," he assured me. I gave a heavy sigh in response; there was no going back now…

We entered the main part of the village, and I stuck close to my mate, feeling nervous from the multitude of stares on me. There were a few curious ones, but many were hostile, and they all knew what I was. Finally, Taichi and I reached the square, where the meeting and announcement would take place. Taichi dismounted his horse and gave him the command for him to wait, and then the two of us joined Susumu on the wooden stage, where he smiled warmly at us. Now, mind you, none of the villagers knew about the recent attack on Taichi except for us and his family. Just a side note.

Villagers filed into the square, and I happened to notice Sora, Izzy, and Joe at the front of the crowd, Sora's furious eyes on me. I was about to bare my teeth at her, but Taichi noticed how tense I'd become and placed a hand on my flank, instantly calming me.

'_She's glaring at me, Taichi. She knows…_' I thought warningly, flicking my ears.

"Don't react. You just have to ignore her for now," he hissed quietly, but I heard him loud and clear.

'_No promises,_' I grumbled, looking away from her. I shifted uncomfortably, knowing a lot of people were bound to freak the fuck out when Susumu made his announcement. Finally, once everyone seemed to be in attendance, Susumu began to yell for the crowd to be quiet. Once they were silent, he began to speak.

"Everyone, I called you all hear for some important news," he began.

'_Here it comes…_' I thought to myself, terrified.

"We have a shifter that has joined our village," he continued. There was a flurry of angry mutterings through the crowd, but a quick smash of the handle of Yuuko's katana on the stage silenced them.

"Respect your leader!" she snapped. I had never seen her so angry, but the crowd obediently silenced themselves once more.

"This is the same shifter that saved my son, Taichi, 10 years ago, and saved him again two month ago," he explained. "Yuuko, Hikari, and I got a chance to meet him after he saved Taichi again, and he's a good shifter. His name is Yamato Ishida, and he is here today." He looked directly at me and nodded. "Go ahead, Yamato." I sighed nervously and then allowed myself to shift into human form, thankfully fully dressed, thanks to Yuuko. She had brought some clothes for me on one of her visits, providing me with new shirts and pants, and even some shorts, boxers, and sleeping clothes. But anyway…

Everyone gasped in shock, except for Sora, whose eyes narrowed dangerously. I felt apprehensive as I straightened up, standing on my own two feet before looking over the crowd.

"My name is Yamato Ishida, and I am a shifter," I told them. "I saved Taichi 10 years ago from a rogue shifter who was attacking humans back then. He's dead now, so the one that attacked him two months ago was a different one. I carried him home and bandaged his leg after killing the recent attacking shifter."

"You're a fucking brute, that's what! You killed Screech!" Sora shrieked at me, a furious glint in her eyes.

"I did kill Screech," I admitted. But then my gaze hardened. "But I'm not a monster. Before I began to live on Taichi's property, I only hunted small animals like squirrels, rabbits, and smaller birds of prey and such. You had Screech attack me while I was minding my own business in a squirrel form. Who's really the brute?" She went quiet, fuming silently as several people stared at her, including Izzy and Joe. I gave a single, satisfied nod before continuing. "But I've been living with Taichi for four months."

"Why keep it a secret, Taichi, huh?" a voice yelled from the crowd.

"Because I knew you would try and kill him if I did," Taichi growled coldly.

"So what? Why protect him? You gay for him?" the same voice sneered, and I felt a snarl rise from my throat and rip its way out. Glaring at the source of the jeering, I almost shifted into a wolf again, but attacking anyone right now would do me no good.

"You're one of the bastards that beat Taichi up three years ago, aren't you?" I demanded, bristling with rage. He gave me a cocky grin, puffing his chest proudly.

"Yup, sure am. Beat the kid up 'cause he's a queer," he grinned. I let a furious growl rip through me, and then I shifted back into a wolf.

'_You know NOTHING!_' I snarled, allowing the crowd to hear me. I bounded through the crowd, pouncing on him and pinning him to the ground with my fangs bared. His terrified eyes watched me as I snarled at him. I could feel fearful gazes on me, and could sense many beginning to draw their weapons. '_Leave. Him. Alone. Or so help me, there __**will**__ be hell to pay._'

And with that, I stepped back and turned away from him, walking back to the stage without looking back. Next thing I knew, there was the soft '_shink_' sound of metal scraping on metal, and then a clang as two blades collided. Turning, I saw Taichi was holding off the shit-head's blade with his own.

"Don't you _dare_ attack Yamato!" he spat, his voice ice cold. My eyes widened in horror, and I immediately shifted into a tiger, giving a loud roar, and glaring hostilely at the bastard.

'_Leave Taichi alone!_' I bellowed, baring my fangs at him. The fucker slowly backed down, his expression terrified. Finally, the crowd, although tense as hell, let us return to the stage. I shifted back to human form and stood close to Taichi, who took one of my hands in his. I flicked my eyes over at him, but said nothing.

"Everyone is to understand that Yamato is one of the villagers now," Susumu declared firmly. "And another piece of news is that Taichi and Yamato are a couple, and I accept that. Nothing and no one can change that. Anyone who attacks or assaults either of them or my family will be punished." There was an immediate screech of rage and frustration from Sora, followed by an uproar from the crowd. Susumu turned to us and ordered, "Leave, now. This won't be pretty." We nodded, and Taichi was quick to mount Kazé and run off as I shifted into a falcon and flew after him. We swiftly traveled as fast as we could to the house, but I soon heard the galloping of another horse trying to catch up to us.

"TAICHI YAGAMI! YOU WON'T GET AWAY!" Sora's voice echoed behind us.

'_Taichi, head home. I'll fend her off,_' I thought to him firmly. He looked about to argue, but I added, '_I'll be fine, I promise._' After a short pause, he nodded and had Kazé gallop on ahead without me. I landed on a log nearby and shifted into a mountain lion right before Sora's eyes. Charging at her, I lashed out with my razor-sharp claws at her horse's legs, making it stumble and fall with a crash on its side. Sora somehow managed to get free before her horse fell, however, and extended her scythe's handle from the blade, slicing the air before me.

"So, you think you can steal my Taichi all for yourself, shifter? Well think again," she hissed.

'_Oh, I'm thinking again. I'm thinking once again how he even became friends with a bitch like you,_' I smirked. She gave a strangled screech before swinging her scythe at me, but I was swift to jump back, and then dodge-rolled below her next swing and lunging at her, a snarl tearing out of my chest and throat. She managed to block me with the pole part of her scythe, and I leapt back, feeling a slight bit of frustration.

"Reconsidering being with him now, beast?" she taunted.

'_Nope, never,_' I grinned, and shifted into a form I hadn't personally used but had witnessed: a dragon. I was a smaller one, not gargantuan like a common dragon, about 13 feet tall with pale blue scales covering my body. My horns curved up over my head slightly, the tips pointing forward, and my 21 foot wingspan extended out fully. My long, thin tail had spines at the tip, reminding me vaguely of a bullwhip. My neck was long and slender, and my snout was long as well, and pointed at the tip. Even my body was thin, and my claws were large and sharp. I flared my nostrils and snorted out a tiny bit of fire with a smirk.

"How is that even possible?!" she yelped, shaking with fear.

'_Just because a creature is just a myth, doesn't mean we shifters can't shift into it,_' I shrugged. '_We merely need to see even a picture of it or someone else using the form to be able to use it ourselves. Now, leave us be, or die._' She gave a furious screech before slashing at me with her scythe. My response? I blocked her petty blade with one hand's claws, and then whipped my tail at her, cracking it like a whip against her back. She screamed in pain, and I nodded, satisfied that my work was done.

"You're not going anywhere!" she shrieked, and shot an arrow at my neck with a crossbow. I caught it in midair and snapped it in half, and then, with a heavy, frosty glare, I picked her up with my tail and quite literally chucked her several yards back. She landed with a heavy thud on the ground, unconscious. I was about to leave, but I was uncertain if I should kill her or not. It was probably best to leave her there. She would either be found or something. So I quickly returned to what was now Taichi and my home while in falcon form. When I made it there, I shifted back to human form and hurried into the house.

"Taichi?" I called out softly, hoping no one had caught up to him. A sudden stomping from upstairs sounded, and he ran down the steps, his chocolate brown eyes wide.

"Yama!" he cried out, and ran over to me, enveloping me in a tight hug. I hugged him back just as tight, relieved he was safe. He pulled back and kissed me lovingly, and I could feel the tears running down his cheeks. When we broke apart, I looked at him worriedly.

"Why are you crying?" I asked as he held me close to him.

"I was cared you might have gotten hurt fighting Sora," he whispered, resting his chin on top of my head.

"Well, I'm not, so there's no need to cry," I assured him with a small smile. He smiled back at me, and then chuckled weakly before leading me upstairs.

"Let's go to bed, Yama. I'm exhausted from the shit we just went through, and I'll bet you are, too," he told me. I nodded, feeling the sudden exhaustion come over me like a wave.

"Yeah, definitely getting sleepy," I mumbled, and he helped me change into a pajama shirt and shorts before we climbed into bed together. Taichi kissed my lips gently before whispering goodnight to me and telling me he loves me. I managed to murmur a sleepy goodnight and 'I love you, too' to him back before we cuddled together to sleep.

A/N: Sorry about the fact that this was delayed, but it would have been up sooner if fan fiction was freaking working… Anyhoo, R&amp;R, peeps!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: All right, another time skip! I hope you all like this chapter! Also, I got a good question from a review I received last night/early morning. The reader asked why Taichi's parents accepted Yamato so easily, and why Yamato didn't fear them, as well as why does he trust them so easily? Well, first off, the reason his parents accepted Yamato so easily was because of Taichi's judgment. They've always trusted his judgment on anyone, and when he tells them that Yamato is a very nice shifter, and is genuine, then they believe and trust him. As for why Yamato trusts them so easily and doesn't fear them, that's because they're unarmed, so he nothing to really fear. It's only if they were to draw their weapons then he would have been less trusting. And as for why Hikari gets to hug Yamato without him freaking out, that's because Hikari is a gentle soul, and Yamato knows this just by looking at her. Hopefully that answers those questions! Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Shape Shifter

Chapter 5

X*X(3 Months Later)X*X

X*X(Yamato's POV)X*X

By this time, Taichi and I had been living together for five months, which was great. The only bad part was that people, although many had grudgingly accepted my presence in the village, many were still hostile. This forced me to often take the form of a mouse and hide in Taichi's pocket if he had to go to town, which was rare now, due to his family's providing us with many of our supplies. They didn't mind doing it, especially Hikari, who had come out on her own a couple of times. What pissed me off was that the last time she visited us with supplies, she was sporting a bruise on her arm from someone throwing a rock at her. Taichi immediately had her tell their father, who punished the asshole accordingly. It hadn't happened since.

As for Sora… It seemed that someone had found out what had happened with her fight against me, and had quickly taken her back to the village to tend to her injuries. She could no longer fight due to the blow I had delivered to her back. It seemed that it just hurt her too much to try and lift her weapon, or anything else, over her head. Taichi felt only a little bad about it, but he got over it soon enough. I felt no remorse for my actions, based off of her anger towards us, namely me. But she was basically no trouble for Taichi or me anymore because Susumu had put her to work with her family's business, which was making blankets. So yeah, no trouble from her anymore.

There was only one other downside to the recent days that I'd been with Taichi. I had been feeling incredibly warm lately, and every time I got close to Taichi the feeling became more intense. I finally decided to ask Ken about it tonight, and we had already set up a meeting for tonight, thankfully. Before bed, I fibbed and told Taichi that I needed to go to the bathroom, and was kinda cramping. He immediately understood and let me go, so I went in and locked the door. Once the door was locked, I quietly opened the window and shifted into an owl before gliding out the open window and over to my old tree.

'_Ken?_' I thought out to him.

'_I'm here, Yamato,_' he answered, climbing up the tree as a squirrel and joining me. '_What's up?_'

'_I've been feeling really weird lately,_' I began. '_I've been warm as hell, and whenever I get close to Taichi, the feeling becomes more intense. I'll be honest, it's been going on for the past week, and has been driving me crazy._' Ken was silent for a bit, his expression thoughtful, but then he gasped in realization.

'_Yamato, you're in heat,_' he told me.

'_What the hell does that mean?_' I demanded, bewildered. I had never heard of that.

'_It means your body is getting ready for you to mate. In this case, your body is preparing you to be forever mated to Taichi, and to become pregnant and have young,_' he explained. It took a split second for me to register his words, and I paled considerably before freaking out.

'_Are you fucking kidding me, Ken?!_' I yelped, terrified. '_That can't be possible! I thought only female shifters could become pregnant, just like with humans!_'

'_Actually, it is possible. Both of my parents were male shifters,_' he replied, and I stared at him.

'_Why didn't you ever tell me that?_' I asked, feeling hurt.

'_There was never a reason to. Now, if I had known for certain when you were younger that you would fall in love with a human, then I would have told you,_' he answered simply. '_Look, Yamato, this isn't a bad thing. This simply means that you're going to be able to raise a new generation of shifters that accept humans as friends, and not enemies or prey. And besides, I can live out here in the tree hollow if you wish, just to help you through the pregnancy._'

'_Ken, this is all so much… I don't know what to do…_' I thought to him worriedly. He placed a paw on my shoulder, right behind my wing.

'_Just follow your natural instincts when you feel like you can't wait any longer. If you want to control yourself, however, I would recommend trying to mate with Taichi by tomorrow night. After all, I assume he has no idea of your heat or of you sneaking out to meet me?_' he said.

'_No, he has no idea of any of this,_' I confirmed. '_But I'll take your advice, Ken. The least I can do is tell him about my heat and what's going on…_'

'_That's a good idea. At least you'll be honest and not hide anything from him,_' he nodded. '_Just tell him tomorrow, when you find a good time to do it._' I gave a small nod before thanking him and heading back inside through the open bathroom window. As soon as I was inside, I shifted back to my human form, flushed the toilet, shut the window, and sprayed some of the air freshener to make it seem like I'd gone before opening the door and returning to bed. As soon as I crawled under the blankets, Taichi woke up a bit and reached for me so he could hold me close to him.

"You feeling better?" he asked groggily.

"Yeah, now I am," I replied, snuggling close to his chest despite the heat that ran through my body. "G'night, Taichi. I love you…" I whispered as I began to drift off to sleep.

"Goodnight, Yama. Love you, too," he mumbled before we both fell asleep.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

I woke up the next morning with Taichi still fast asleep and holding me with my back to his chest. A sudden rush from the warmth of my heat washed over me, and I squirmed a little, feeling slightly uncomfortable. The small movement managed to wake the brunette up, and he kissed the back of my neck softly, making me shiver.

"Mmm… Good morning, Yama," he murmured, smiling against my neck. I rolled in his loose grip so I could face him, and he kissed my lips gently.

"Good morning, Taichi," I whispered with a faint smile, but then I remembered my conversation with Ken last night, and I frowned.

"What's wrong, Yama? You wanna talk?" he asked. I gave a single, tiny nod, and he began to sit up, pulling me up with him. "So, what's on your mind, Yama?"

"Well…have you noticed I've been really warm lately?" I began. He nodded slowly, not knowing where I was going with this. "I hate the fact that I didn't tell you anything, but I snuck out last night to talk to Ken when I claimed I was going to use the bathroom… and he told me why I've been so warm lately…"

"I don't mind, Yama. I don't blame you for not wanting to tell me. You didn't want to worry me, right?" he guessed, and I nodded.

"But the reason I've been so warm around you is because…I'm…in heat…" I mumbled, blushing to high heaven.

"So…this means you need to mate, huh?" he assumed, and I blinked at him, surprised.

"How did you know what that meant?" I asked.

"That was one of the few things I remember from school," he chuckled. "Any animal that goes into heat needs to mate."

"That's not all of it, though, Taichi. I found out from Ken last night that I'm not just going into heat; my body is preparing itself to be able to carry and deliver a child or children…" I muttered, and that had Taichi staring at me, shocked. My gaze lowered to stare at the blankets, and I felt hurt. Tears pricked at my eyes as I waited for Taichi to respond. As soon as I sniffled, though, I felt his arms wrap around me, and he pressed a tender, loving kiss to my forehead.

"I'm so sorry, Yama… I was just…surprised, is all, that male shifters can become pregnant," he murmured, hugging me tight.

"Well, Ken's parents are apparently both males," I told him quietly. "I didn't know that until last night…"

"Don't worry about it," he assured me. "You know I still love you, no matter what, right?"

"I love you, too, but…I thought you'd think I was a freak when I told you…" I whispered, trying desperately to blink the tears out of my eyes. Taichi pulled back and wiped the tears from my eyes before kissing my nose.

"I'd never think of you as a freak, Yama. You should know that by now," he smiled at me. "So, since you need to mate, and I'm your mate, we'll get you taken care of tonight. Sound good?"

"Y-yeah," I stammered, blushing.

"Cool. Let's get some breakfast, all right?" he suggested, and then climbed out of bed with me following close behind him, wondering how everything would turn out come nighttime.

The day flew by, and soon enough, night fell, and it was time for us to go to bed. And for us to…mate. Gah, I felt so awkward thinking of it… I don't even know how this is going to work… I mean, I know how mating works, thanks to my heat, but I really wasn't feeling confident. I know Taichi won't hurt me if he can help it, but I was still nervous.

We went up to the bedroom, and as soon as the door was shut, Taichi grabbed me and pulled me to the bed, where he pinned me against the mattress and began to kiss me deeply. I kissed him back, surprised by his eagerness, but couldn't really blame him. After all, we hadn't had any kind of sexual contact other than kissing in the five months we'd been together. He had been incredibly patient, now that I think about it. Now I'm sure his hormones were raging during at least the past two, maybe three months from the want to make me his. I felt bad for making him wait so long, but now we were going to go all the way, and I would forever be his.

We broke apart, breathing heavily. Without a word, we managed to continue kissing while he pushed me further back on the bed until my head hit the pillows. As soon as our progression stopped, he began to kiss down my jaw, along my neck, and down to my throat, where he sucked harshly at the pale skin there. I gave a long, low moan from the mixture of pain and pleasure. How the hell could I have gone so long without knowing about these feelings and sensations?

"You're officially mine forever, Yama," he breathed, and then pulled my shirt off for easier access to the pale skin beneath it. He kissed and nipped my collarbone, and I shuddered heavily from the assault of sensations flooding me. I gripped his upper arms tightly as I felt myself becoming hard. As I squirmed from the feelings rushing through me, I accidentally brushed my knee against Taichi's crotch, making him break away with a gasp, and I blushed heavily; he had been rock-hard.

"Sorry," I whispered, making the mistake of looking right into his normally bright brown eyes. Now they were like dark chocolate and intense with his lust for me. I could feel that my face was flushed from the excitement of the past five minutes, but I ignored it in favor of trying to take his shirt off. He was quick to stop me by grabbing my wrists, a sly look on his face.

"Ah, ah, ah, Yama. I get to undress us," he teased. He swiftly removed his shirt, followed by his pants and boxers, and then yanked my shorts and boxers off. I yelped in surprise at the suddenness, and tried to cover myself, but Taichi pinned my wrists above my head before kissing me passionately. I kissed him back, letting him basically kiss the shit out of me, but then he pulled back, a wolfish grin on his face.

"W-what are you d-doing?" I stuttered, completely uncertain as to where he was going with this. I cried out with sudden pleasure, though, as he grabbed my hardened member and began to pump me. "Oh gods, Taichi!" I whimpered, wanting more contact and friction between us. I desperately strained to reach him, but he held himself too high above me, and I gave another whimper.

"Don't worry, I'll make you writhe beneath me soon enough," he smirked. He then released my dick, and placed three fingers at my lips. "Suck," he told me, and I complied, swirling my tongue around the tan digits until they were thoroughly coated in saliva. Taichi pulled his fingers out of my mouth, and then began to kiss down my chest and abdomen, stopping at my hip.

"This may hurt a little, but if I don't do it, it'll hurt a lot worse later on," he told me as I watched his hand a bit worriedly. He spread my legs so he could place himself between them, and then inserted one of his fingers inside of me, making me wince slightly. Taichi murmured a soft apology before moving his finger about in my entrance, stretching me. I squeezed my eyes shut, but they snapped right back open as he sheathed my aching dick with his mouth, enveloping it in hot, wet suction as he added another finger, scissoring me at the same time.

"Oh gods!" I breathed, weaving my fingers through his hair and gripping the wild chocolate locks tightly as he sucked me off. I couldn't get over the amount of pleasure that was washing, no, flooding over me, definitely distracting me from the pain. I tried to control the various pleased sounds that came from me, but it was difficult. When Taichi added the third finger, however, I gasped in surprise; that one had hurt a bit more than the first, despite the blowjob I was getting. Taichi pulled back, a concerned expression on his face.

"You okay, Yama?" he asked gently, removing his fingers. He knew I was fully stretched by this point, and I knew it, too. I whimpered from the empty feeling as he pulled them out, desperate to have him by this point. My body was burning up, thanks to my heat, and I knew that if he stopped now, I wouldn't be able to control my actions.

"Y-yeah, just hurry," I stammered, kissing Taichi hotly. He kissed me back just as passionately, and then pulled back, smearing his precum over his rock-hard cock before positioning himself at my entrance.

"Ready?" the brunette questioned softly, and I gripped his shoulders before nodding once. Taichi began to enter me, and my immediate reaction to the pain was to tense up, but that would have made it hurt worse, so I forced myself to relax. Finally, he was fully sheathed inside of me, and he kissed my collarbone tenderly. "I'll wait for you to adjust," he whispered in my ear. I started to shift in place a little, just to adjust faster, but then Taichi gripped my hips tightly and pinned them to the bed.

"Don't. Do. That," he hissed, a strained look on his face.

"Sorry," I breathed, and then added, "Move."

"With pleasure," he grinned wolfishly, and then pulled out almost completely, just the tip of his erection still inside of me. I whimpered, but it soon changed to a strangled moan as he quickly slammed into me. "Gods you're so tight, Yama…" he panted in my ear.

"H-holy f-f-fuck, Chi!" I stuttered, digging my nails into his back. He gave a small chuckle at the nickname.

"So I'm Chi now, huh?" he smirked at me, giving a smooth roll of his hips against mine. I moaned again, and gave a tiny whimper as I nodded.

"That's hot, Yama~" he purred before kissing me deeply. Taichi suddenly began to pound into me as we kissed, and I couldn't hold back the loud, high-pitched, uncontrollable moans that escaped me. Suddenly, he hit a spot deep inside of me that had me seeing stars and crying out, and I gripped the tanned skin of his back even tighter, digging my nails in deeper and drawing a small hiss from my mate. The pain apparently didn't affect him too badly, though, as he didn't break pace in his thrusts. Out of nowhere, he began to pump my weeping member in time with his thrusting, but kissed me again right as I began to cry out once more, practically swallowing the cry. I broke off from the kiss with a gasp as I felt myself about to cum.

"Taichi…CHI! I'm gonna cum!" I tried to warn him, but it was too late. I came with a scream all over his hand and our stomachs. Taichi was quick to follow, releasing his white hot seed deep inside of me, biting my collarbone and groaning loudly as he came. The brunette lay on top of me, trying to collect himself and regain control of his breathing. He pulled out before collapsing next to me on the bed, still breathing heavily.

"Holy fucking hell, Yama…" he breathed, pulling me close to him, my back to his chest. "That was amazing…" I could hear the content smile in his voice, and I turned in his grip so I was facing him before snuggling closer.

"I'm glad you liked it," I told him, tilting my head slightly as he began to kiss at the side of my neck.

"I didn't like it, silly, I loved it," he chuckled softly, and then wiped my cum off of our stomachs before licking it off of his fingers. "You taste delicious, love." His words made my face burn, so I smacked his shoulder lightly. "Did you enjoy it?" he asked, his expression honestly curious.

"Of course I did!" I exclaimed, shocked he would have thought I hadn't. Blushing, I mumbled, "That's the best I've ever felt with you, to be honest…"

"Well, I'm glad to be your one and only," he smiled gently, kissing me deeply. I tasted my cum in his mouth, and the taste made me give a small purr. The brunette pulled back, an amused look on his face. "You just purred."

"So? I'm a shifter, what did you expect?" I grumbled, pouting and blushing from his teasing.

"I think it's cute. It makes you seem more fuck-able to me," he smirked, and my face turned a deep crimson.

"Dammit, Taichi! You always manage to make me blush!" I whined, burying my face in the pillows. I felt Taichi gently run his fingers along my bare back and spine, which made me shiver lightly.

"Nothing wrong with that, is there? Now, if someone else could make you blush, then I'd be concerned," he teased gently. I huffed, but decided to just let it drop. So instead, I cuddled into his chest, a sleepy, content sound escaping me.

"Let's just sleep, Chi. You wore me out…" I yawned.

"As I well should have," he laughed lightly, but kissed my forehead anyway before pulling the blankets over us. "Goodnight, Yama. I love you so much…"

"G'night, Chi. Love you, too," I murmured before pretty much passing out from exhaustion.

A/N: I'm so sorry about the late update! It was my birthday two days ago, so I barely got to write due to spending time with my family, and yesterday I ended up napping for about 4 hours after I got home, then I had to clean and stuff before fixing my dinner. I could barely get any time in… But anyhoo, I hope you enjoyed the lemon, and there will be more to come! Also, let me know if you have any other questions! R&amp;R, peeps!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Okay, back to this fic! Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Shape Shifter

Chapter 6

X*X(1 Month Later)X*X

I retched, emptying the contents of my stomach for the third time this morning. Dammit… I had been experiencing the morning sickness for the past two weeks, but it shouldn't have been starting until now, according to Ken. Typically, a shifter's pregnancy, male or female, should last about eight months. Morning sickness didn't start until four weeks from conception, so I had gotten it a bit early for some reason.

Speaking of Ken, he had moved into the tree outside to sleep so he could remain close to us during my pregnancy. He seemed to have a lot more knowledge of shifter pregnancy than he was letting on, which had me wondering how much he really knew, so I decided to talk to him while Taichi went into town that day for some supplies.

"Yama? You okay in there?" Taichi's voice sounded worriedly through the bathroom door. I spat the last of the bile from my mouth into the toilet before flushing and rinsing my mouth out. Once I was done, I opened the door, allowing Taichi to hold me close to him and kiss the top of my head softly. "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine…" I mumbled tiredly. The throwing up was tiring me out, and I felt I could use some sleep. Taichi seemed to think the same.

"Look, let's get you some sleep. I need to go into town for some stuff for us, since Hikari's sick and Mom and Dad are busy taking care of her," he told me, and I nodded weakly. "I'll have Ken watch you while I'm gone, okay?" I nodded as he led me to our bed and got me all covered up. "I love you, Yama. I'll be back soon, so try not to worry about me too much."

"Love you, too, Chi," I sighed sleepily, and then he left the room after kissing my forehead. I vaguely heard him yell to Ken, and then my friend fluttered into the bedroom in the form of a finch.

"Hey Yamato," he greeted once in human form. "I'm still surprised you're still experiencing morning sickness, and that it started so early."

"Yeah, but you told me it wouldn't be until a month after conception," I muttered, sitting up slowly. "Ken, how do you know so much about shifter pregnancies?"

"…Well, it's something you wouldn't remember, seeing as we hadn't met yet," he began, sitting next to me. At my curious look, he continued. "I had a mate, years and years ago. He was a shifter, too, and we mated about a few years before you were born. I became pregnant, and eventually gave birth to our child. We were going to name the baby Daisuke if it was a boy or Shixona if it was a girl. Unfortunately, the baby was stillborn, meaning it was dead when it was born. It turned out to be a boy, but there was nothing we could do to help him since he was already dead… We buried our child, and my mate abandoned me, accusing me of causing our baby's death. For the next several years, I was alone, and then word got to me that my mate had killed himself from the grief of losing both his first-born and abandoning me, according to the informant. It tore me apart. That same day was when I found you, starving and cold. I felt it was a sign that I was meant to raise a child after all, even if it wasn't mine by blood. So I brought you home with me, raised you, and taught you almost everything I could. And that's my story." His expression was extremely saddened from sharing his past, and his voice was soft. I noticed his eyes were starting to become a bit misty, so I reached out to him, and he quickly let me hug him. He hugged me back tightly, starting to cry on my shoulder. I let him, trying to calm my good friend down so he could regain control of his breathing. Eventually, he slowly began to calm down.

"Thank you, Yamato," he told me as he pulled back, his voice cracking slightly. "You don't hate me for not telling you, do you?"

"Of course not, Ken," I assured him with a small smile. "You had your reasons for not telling me sooner, and besides, I never expected to be submissive in a relationship with a human."

"True," he smiled back. "I'm glad you accepted it so easily, though."

"Why wouldn't I?" I asked rhetorically. "It had to be hard for you, though…"

"Of course it was," he nodded. "I didn't know what to do, to be honest. Now, enough about me, how about you?"

"Huh?"

"I know you've been experiencing morning sickness, and that it started early," he explained. "That's unusual, even for shifters."

"Nothing about this pregnancy is 'normal', Ken," I pointed out. "I've never heard of a human brave enough to impregnate a shifter before, let alone become mated to one. Remember, we're feared normally."

"True," he nodded. "Maybe because this child, or children, is half human and half shifter, your pregnancy will be shorter in duration."

"Huh. That kinda makes sense," I murmured. "How long do you think it'll be, then?"

"Judging by how quickly your morning sickness hit, I'd guess about 4-6 months," he answered. "But we'll have to see how quickly the baby grows in the womb."

"All right," I said. "We'll probably see more progress in a few more weeks."

"Sounds like a plan," Ken agreed, and then I yawned, making him chuckle. "Get some sleep, Yamato. I'll wake you when Taichi gets home."

"Thanks, Ken," I mumbled tiredly, and curled up under the blanket before going to sleep.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

When I woke up, it was to Ken talking to Taichi. He was explaining our theory about the shorter pregnancy, and how it could be determined. My eyes slowly peeked open to see my mate standing by the door as Ken spoke to him, and then Taichi thanked him quietly as the violet-haired shifter left. Once Ken was gone, the brunette approached the bed, and sat down carefully on his side before lying down and spooning me with his hands around my stomach, then kissing the back of my neck.

"I know you're awake, Yama," he breathed in my ear, making me jump a little. I turned in his arms, allowing him to kiss me lightly on the lips. "You feeling better at all?"

"Yeah, now I am," I told him, tucking my head under his chin and inhaling his warm scent. The pure scent of him reminded me of cinnamon and the forest.

"Mmm, good," he hummed, kissing the top of my head. "You smell good, Yama…"

"Really now? I thought I'd stink, considering I threw up earlier," I chuckled.

"I don't care. You smell amazing, and I mean it," he murmured, kissing my head again. He pulled back and cupped my cheek with his hand, pulling me up and kissing me lovingly. "Gods, I can't wait until the baby's gotten bigger…"

"Why?" I asked, completely puzzled.

"Because you'll be even sexier," he smirked devilishly, making me blush a deep crimson.

"You're such a pervert," I muttered, looking away.

"But you love it," he laughed lightly, kissing my burning cheek.

"Of course I do. How could I not?" I smiled softly back at him.

"True," he grinned. "Now, let's sleep. I'm tired from the shit in town, and I know you're still tired, too."

"Yeah, I am. Love you, Chi," I yawned, and cuddled against his chest before going to sleep.

"Love you, too, Yama…" I heard him murmur before going to sleep as well.

X*X(2 Weeks Later)X*X

"Can't believe this," I muttered, looking at my stomach in the mirror. It had practically doubled in size, from being a very slight, barely noticeable bump to a much larger, very noticeable belly. I was shocked; how could this happen in two weeks? Maybe Ken was right and I was actually expecting more than one child. Gods dammit…

"Good morning, sexy," Taichi breathed suddenly in my ear, and wrapped his arms around me, placing his hands on my swollen stomach. "Damn, beautiful. I want you."

"You already have me, Chi," I pointed out with a small smile. He shivered lightly at the nickname, and kissed the back of my neck, making **me** shiver.

"I don't care. I'll make you mine even more, again and again," he purred, kissing my neck. I shuddered, but my soft moan changed into a whimper as he sucked harshly at the side of the pale skin of my neck.

"Gah…Chi…" I gasped, gripping his lower arms as he continued to hold me around my waist and kiss and lick my neck.

"Yes, love?" he said teasingly, and I groaned loudly as he palmed my growing erection through my sleep shorts. He growled possessively before turning me around to face him and kissing me passionately, his tongue shoving past my lips and teeth without waiting and sweeping through my mouth, tasting me. I whimpered helplessly as he nibbled at my bottom lip and rubbed my swollen stomach sensually. When he began to rub my belly, though, I gave a long, loud moan into his mouth, shuddering heavily.

"Sensitive, huh?" he smirked, and I nodded woodenly against his shoulder as I leaned against him. "Good. More fun for both of us, then~"

"You perverted—uuugghh…" I broke off with a groan as he palmed my crotch again.

"You were saying?" he teased, kissing me. He led me back to the bed and laid me out on it, and then pulled off my shorts and shirt, leaving me buck-naked to him. I tried curling into a ball to cover myself a bit, but Taichi was quick to pin my wrists to the bed, preventing me from doing so. "Ah, ah, ah, Yama. No hiding that sexiness from me."

"But—" I was cut off as he kissed me again, deeply and hotly, and I gasped as he pressed his knee against my groin. "You need to be naked, too, Chi!" I whined, tugging at his shirt a bit.

"Of course, baby," he purred, playing with one of my nipples. He watched the pleasured reactions fly across my face, smiling softly as he leaned down and kissed my abdomen tenderly. I gasped sharply at the wonderful sensation, but knew that if he kept on kissing my stomach like that, I wouldn't be able to hold on long. That's when he took my hardened member in his mouth, applying harsh suction as he deep-throated me with a hum.

"Chi…Taichi…s-stop…I-I'm gonna…" I couldn't finish, unable to hold on, and came in his welcoming mouth. I felt him swallow my cum, and that made me start to become hard again. I was breathing heavily, trying desperately to catch my breath from my orgasm.

"You taste delicious, love," Taichi grinned devilishly as he climbed back up, leaning over me on his elbows. I blushed heavily, my whole face a deep crimson from his words, and tried to smack his shoulder, but it was more of a light shove because of my weakened state from my orgasm.

"Shut…up," I breathed, pouting up at him. He merely gave me a cheeky grin before kissing me passionately.

"I love you so much, Yama," he murmured against my lips. He pulled back to take off his sleep shirt and pants, and then latched his mouth onto one of my nipples.

"I love you too!" I gasped out as he toyed with the other in his fingers and lightly sucked the one that was in between his lips. Taichi pulled away, and then began to nip my pale skin as he trailed down my body, leaving small bruises as he went. He ended up at my thighs, pressing a soft kiss to my right inner thigh before pulling something out of the drawer from the bedside table on his side of the bed. I didn't know what it was, so I decided to ask.

"What is that?" I asked, curious as he popped the cap open.

"It's lube. I snagged a bottle while I was in town a couple weeks ago," he answered. "And before you ask what it's for, it's used to make it easier when I stretch and fuck you. Besides, I take it you would prefer to not be spit-prepped every time?"

"No…" I mumbled, blushing a wonderful shade of pink all over. I must have been pink all over, because Taichi nuzzled my hip and kissed it lightly with a chuckle.

"Aww, Yama, you're so beautiful when you blush," he teased, but then squeezed some of the lube onto his fingers and slicked them up before inserting the first one inside of me. I nearly tensed up at the cold of it, but forced myself to relax, biting my lip to distract myself from it. Then Taichi added another finger, but used his other hand to pump my hardening cock and distract me from the twinges of pain that had been going up my spine.

"Don't worry, baby, I'll be in you soon enough," he purred, but instead of letting him add a third finger, I decided to use my shifter strength to speed things up a bit. I quickly gripped his arms and got him to let go of me, flipped him over so he was beneath me, and then impaled myself on his rock-hard dick with a long, sensual moan. Taichi gave a loud, strangled groan as I settled myself, and then looked at me, his eyes dark with lust.

"Did you plan this?" he asked breathlessly.

"No, I just…wanted to…speed things up," I panted, shifting a bit on his lap. He gasped loudly and bucked his hips up into me, unable to control himself. I yelped in surprise, but it swiftly changed into a moan of ecstasy as he hit my sweet spot like last time, making stars scatter across my vision. My arms trembled as I tried to keep Taichi beneath me, but he noticed and quickly flipped us so he was on top again.

"Nice try, Yama, but I'm seme here," the brunette told me with a wolfish grin. I pouted up at him, breathing heavily still, but allowed him to kiss me, making my disappointment at not being able to ride him melt away. That's when he began to thrust into me, the smooth rolling of his hips against mine making me moan into his mouth.

I gripped his back tightly, moaning and mewling uncontrollably beneath him. We made passionate love, Taichi continuously hitting my sweet spot and making me feel amazing, wonderful, sexy, loved, and everything in between. The brunette began to pump my leaking cock in time with his thrusts, and I cried out with ecstasy, feeling my release race towards me.

"T…Taichi…Chi! I-I'm gonna cum!" I stuttered, digging my nails into the tanned skin of his back.

"That's right, cum for me, Yama," he growled possessively, biting my collarbone and thrusting even harder and deeper into me. I couldn't hold on, and came with a scream as my cum spattered into his hand and onto our stomachs. Taichi was quick to follow, biting down harder on my collarbone and groaning low and deep in his throat as he thrust his white hot seed inside of me.

Taichi pulled out about half a minute later, collapsing onto the bed next to me so we could see each other, watch each other recover. A minute passed with both of us trying to catch our breath, and then the brunette wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to his chest after wiping his hand with my cum on it on the sheets. I tucked my head under his chin, allowing him to place his chin on top of my head. He pulled away and kissed my forehead softly, and then placed his hand on my swollen abdomen as he covered us with a thick blanket. After all, winter was approaching.

"I love you, Yama. I can't wait until the baby is born," he whispered to me, a smile in his voice.

"At the rate my stomach is growing, Chi, I'm going to have a short pregnancy," I murmured. "Four or five months at the most…and…"

"And…?"

"I think I'm having twins," I mumbled, and as soon as I said it, he grabbed my chin and tilted my head back so I could look at him.

"Are you serious, Yama?!" he gasped.

"…I'm not 100% sure yet, though, but I think I am," I told him shyly. I was shocked when he kissed the shit out of me, squeezing me against his chest. When he released me, he had a wide grin on his face, and his chocolate brown orbs were shining with happiness.

"Oh my gods, that's amazing!" he exclaimed excitedly. "I can't believe it; I'm gonna be a father to twins…!"

"Remember, I don't know for sure yet…" I reminded him.

"Oh, I think so," Ken's voice said from the doorway, and we looked at him, alarmed. He was in human form, smiling at us. "I was almost that big at 3 months, and I was only pregnant with one child. I'm certain you're having twins, Yamato."

"How long have you been there?" I asked, starting to turn red in embarrassment.

"I only came in when I heard you two talking about the baby, or in this case, babies," he smirked. I sighed in relief, and he laughed lightly before bidding us farewell and shifting into a finch, and then flying to his tree. Taichi kissed me tenderly on my lips, and then held me closer.

"Let's get a nap in, Yama. When you wake up, I'll make you something to eat," he offered.

"Sounds good," I nodded, feeling tired again from his antics.

"Sleep well, beautiful. I love you," he whispered in my ear.

"I love you, too, Chi…" I yawned, and then we fell asleep in each other's arms.

A/N: I know, it's a short chapter. But it's still a good one! Anyhoo, R&amp;R, peeps!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Finally updating this one, too! Thank gods, I needed to. Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Shape Shifter

Chapter 7

X*X(2 Months Later)X*X

I was examining myself in the mirror like I had been since I discovered I was pregnant, silent. I was almost ready to give birth, according to Ken, even though I was only three and a half months along. But besides what Ken had said, my instincts told me. And not only that, I was huge. I looked like I'd swallowed a large watermelon. Or two smaller ones. Taichi had been completely supportive of me, and we'd even told his parents, who agreed with Taichi that this was perfect. That was a month ago, and despite their surprise at how quickly the babies were growing inside me, they wanted to do everything in their power to protect me from the villagers' sight. We all agreed that they would be in an uproar over this, so I was forced to remain cooped up inside the house all the time, unless I shifted first and then went outside. I was starting to become miserable, and I didn't want Taichi and my children to be forced to hide. Taichi could tell I was starting to become depressed, judging by his almost sympathetic looks he would give me, but it was as if he didn't think anything could be done. He wanted me to be safe, but I wanted to be safe and have some freedom. So I decided to, while it was still early, not even dawn, fly over to see Ken and then Taichi's family to seek advice. I refused to make my young hide for most of their lives, after all.

I scrawled out a quick note to Taichi saying something about going hunting, and then opened the window before shifting into an owl and taking flight. It was only because it was dark out that I took an owl's form. Once the sun starts to rise, then I'll switch to a falcon or something. As I flew, I could feel the strange sensation of my young moving within me. I could tell at this point I was expecting at least two.

'_Easy, now. I'll protect you,_' I thought to them as I got close to Ken's home. Even though he often remained in the tree outside Taichi and my home, he still liked to go and check on his actual home occasionally. I knew he was there last night, seeing as his scent in the tree was a few days old. Eventually, I began my descent as I drew even closer, and then landed on a branch outside of his den. '_Ken? Are you there?_' I called out via telepathy. There was a faint yawn from the cave, and then Ken emerged as a dark violet panther.

'_Yamato? What are you doing here? And this early?_' he asked, looking up at me in surprise.

'_I need advice,_' I answered simply, and then shifted into a golden panther and climbed down the tree I was in until my paws were on the ground. I explained what I had been thinking about lately, and that I refused to make my children live in hiding for a majority of their lives. When I finished my explanation, Ken sighed.

'_I understand, Yamato, but you can't afford to tell the villagers about your pregnancy. If you do, they'll either be horrified or terrified, and either one is bad news for your family,_' he replied.

'_But it's not fair to them! They deserve to be able to go outside and be free like the villagers!_' I growled. My expression became sad, and I whispered, '_It's not like I chose this life, and even though I do love Taichi, I sometimes wonder how different things would be if I had never gotten close to him._'

'_Don't think like that, Yamato. You two love each other dearly, and you know you wouldn't change this for the world,_' he pointed out.

'_You're right. I just don't want to make him leave his home, but I don't want my children to be suffering from not being able to leave home. I'm completely torn on this!_' I thought to him in frustration.

'_I'm sure the answer will come to you in due time,_' Ken assured me, nuzzling my shoulder in a comforting and friendly gesture. He looked to the horizon, where the sun was starting to rise. '_You'd best head home before Taichi wakes up. Try not to worry too much, okay? I'll be back by later today after I've hunted for some more food._'

'_Okay. I'll see you later,_' I nodded, and shifted into a silver falcon before taking flight and riding the early morning thermals to Taichi's family's home. Despite what Ken had said, I still wanted to talk to Taichi's family about what I could do. I was still torn, and I didn't want any option that forced my children into hiding for a majority of their lives, or that forced Taichi to have to leave his home. The only option I could come up with would be to tell the townspeople about my pregnancy and soon-to-be delivery.

When I arrived, I shifted into a small golden cat and was quick to meow at the front door insistently until Kari opened the door. Her milky brown eyes widened at the sight of me, and she quickly scooped me up into her arms and brought me inside.

"Yamato, what are you doing here?" she asked worriedly. "Is Taichi okay?"

'_Yes, he's fine. I just needed to talk to you and your parents,_' I replied, remaining in cat form.

"What about?" she inquired curiously.

'_I'll explain once they're in here,_' I told her. She nodded, and quickly went to get her parents. They were down within a few minutes, appearing a bit tired, but otherwise alert and concerned. '_Sorry to wake you, I just wanted to make sure to be here while you were all still home. And I wanted to come alone because Taichi would get upset with what I'm going to ask._' I proceeded to explain what I had to Ken, and I noticed a small, sad look come over Yuuko's face as I finished.

"I know what you mean, Yamato," she murmured, tears coming to her eyes. "After you saved Taichi when he was younger, everyone in town, except for his friends, wanted him kept cooped up at home, to make sure he was safe. He was miserable for the few months I made him stay home, but then I decided to let him out so he could be free. I could just see how upset he was, so I finally went against the advice of the villagers and decided to let him do as he pleased, as long as he didn't get in trouble. So I can completely understand."

"Yuuko's right," Susumu agreed. "Taichi was depressed and miserable, and hated that he couldn't go outside. And as far as telling the townspeople about your pregnancy, that's fine. We'll tell them today. You'll have to be there, of course, to validate it for them."

'_I understand,_' I nodded. Looking out the window, I realized Taichi might be waking up soon, so I needed to go home. '_Should I tell Taichi about our conversation?_'

"Yes. You can't keep secrets like that from him, it would hurt him if you lied about it," Yuuko replied. "Now hurry home, and we'll see you both later around midday." I nodded, and quickly shifted into a falcon before flying out an open window to home. I knew Taichi would more than likely be pissed at me for going behind his back, but I had to do what needed to be done to make sure my children were happy growing up. As soon as I reached home, I was quick to head inside the open window I had left through, and shifted back to human form. Unfortunately, I was too late to not be suspicious, for Taichi was already awake. He frowned when he saw me, his expression concerned.

"Yama, how come you went out so early? You need sleep and rest to make sure you and the babies are healthy," he told me. Looking away, I took Yuuko's words to heart and decided to tell him what I had done.

"Taichi…" I began, hesitating. "I'm sorry, but I didn't actually go hunting."

"What do you mean?"

"I…I went to see Ken for some advice, and then I went to see your family for more advice," I admitted. "I kept thinking about how our children wouldn't be able to live a good, free life if they were forced to remain in hiding for their own safety, and it's not fair to them. I spoke to Ken, but he agreed that there wasn't much that could be done… Then I went to your family's home, and spoke with them. Your parents agreed with me to tell the villagers after sharing a bit of your past."

"What the hell, Yamato!" he growled. "Why would you go behind my back like that?" I was quick to get defensive.

"Taichi, you don't understand! Shifters are meant to be able to run free, not stay cooped up in their home all the time!" I snapped. "I know I'm different from most shifters, but I refuse to make our children remain inside for a majority of their lives! It's just not fair to them!" Tears formed in my eyes as I argued my case. He calmed down at that, realizing what I was saying, and noticing my tears.

"I'm sorry, Yama…" he murmured, and held his arms out, allowing me to draw closer. I willingly went to him, and he wrapped his arms around me in a soothing hug. I shook with heavy sobs as the brunette held me close to him. "I didn't think of that, and I'm sorry…"

"J-just…let me…follow…my instincts…" I whimpered, trying desperately to calm down. My instincts hadn't failed me before, and they weren't about to, either. I knew this was the right thing to do. I clung to Taichi, just feeling like I needed to be as close as possible to him.

"I will," he promised, rubbing my back comfortingly. He kissed my forehead gently, and then began to pull away. I lifted my head quickly, kissing him heatedly, and he was quick to respond with a possessive growl, nipping at my lips impatiently. I parted them, allowing him entrance, and Taichi was quick to take advantage. When the need for air became too great, we parted, breathing heavily, and gazing at each other with dark, lustful eyes.

"Just a quickie?" Taichi questioned, smirking when I nodded. He led me towards the bed, laying me down on it and kissing me passionately. I kissed him back with equal enthusiasm, leaning up slightly to reach him easier due to my large belly. Taichi slid his hands under my shirt, rubbing gently and sensually at my sensitive abdomen, making me break off the kiss with a loud gasp. The brunette slipped my shirt off and tossed it onto the floor, followed by his own shirt, and he was quick to kiss at my neck and collarbone before latching onto the lower portion of my collarbone and sucking harshly. I was grateful; if he had gone any higher, the villagers would see it later.

I writhed beneath my mate as he had his way with me, but eventually, my need for more of everything from him became too much. I growled impatiently as he was kissing down along my abdomen, making him chuckle darkly.

"Getting impatient, aren't ya?" he teased, but tugged my pants off anyway, leaving me bare before him. I blushed heavily, attempting to cover myself, but Taichi was quick to pin my wrists to the mattress. "Ah, ah, ah, Yama. No hiding, remember? Especially when you're so big with our children~"

"Shut up!" I growled, blushing harder. I was starting to feel really self-conscious, and he wasn't helping. Taichi merely chuckled, but didn't say anything else, just stared at my body with a hungry and lustful gleam to his chocolate eyes. The brunette suddenly backed down along my body, and then lowered his head, taking my hardened cock into his mouth and sucking. He tormented me, taking more of my member in every few seconds, and then backing off to lick the tip and tease the slit. The entire time he did this, I gripped his hair tightly, breathing heavily.

Out of nowhere, he deep-throated me, humming lightly, causing me to cum in his mouth with a pleasured cry. When I felt him swallow it all, I started to become hard again from the sensation. Taichi pulled away, a small streak of white at the corner of his lips, and, trying to be sexy and make him blush, I wiped the cum away from his mouth with my thumb and licked it up. It worked, and the brunette turned red in the face from what I'd done. I laughed at his expression until he kissed me hotly, making my face flush from the passion beneath his lips.

"So, you think it's funny to make me blush, huh?" he whispered, grabbing the lube from the bedside table and slicking up three fingers. I nodded shyly in answer to his question, but gasped sharply as he inserted a cold finger inside of me. Shivering, I gripped his shoulders tightly and pulled myself closer to him right before he added a second finger. Taichi scissored me, stretching me thoroughly and then inserting the third finger to finish prepping me. When he was done and felt I was fully prepared, he shifted behind me and slicked up his rock hard dick before pressing it against my entrance.

"Ready?" he asked softly against the back of my neck, his hot breath on my skin making me shiver with goose bumps forming.

"Just hurry up, Chi!" I growled, and he chuckled with a devilish smirk against my neck, kissing my shoulder before pushing into me with one smooth thrust, all the way to the hilt. I choked on a gasp when he did that, and then moaned loudly. The brunette began a swift pace of thrusts into me, not stopping or slowing down in the slightest. He nipped at my ear occasionally as he fucked me hard and deep, which just made me shudder heavily, feeling his passion in his tenderness with each touch.

"Gods, you're so tight, Yama," he panted, biting my shoulder gently. I couldn't respond, due to my loud, uncontrollable moans, which were beginning to go higher in pitch. He suddenly hit my sweet spot, which made me cry out with pure ecstasy and see stars dance across my vision. Taichi grabbed my leaking cock and began to pump me in time with his thrusts, and I tried desperately to hold off so my mate and I could cum at the same time, but it was too much.

"I'm gonna—AH!" I screamed, unable to finish as I came in Taichi's hand. My cum splattered into his hand and on my stomach, and some ended up on the sheets, too. Taichi was quick to follow once my walls had tightened around him, releasing his seed deep inside of me. As he came, he bit down on the back of my shoulder, groaning low in the back of his throat. Finally, he pulled out once he was done, and I managed to roll over so we could cuddle.

"Better, Yama?" he questioned, kissing my temple softly. I nodded once, weakly, as my eyelids drifted closed. "Take a nap, love. You need it. We'll leave in a couple of hours after you've eaten."

"I can hunt on the…way there," I mumbled, yawning in mid-sentence. Taichi merely pulled me closer and kissed my lips gently.

"I love you, Yama. Sleep well," he whispered, and I fell asleep in my mate's warm embrace.

A/N: What will the reaction be from the villagers? Find out in the next chapter! R&amp;R, peeps!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Damn. It's seriously been over a year since I updated this? Shiiiit… Okay, anyhoo, sorry for the long wait folks. Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Shape Shifter

Chapter 8

Taichi woke me gently two hours later, as he had said he would, and we were clean, dried, and dressed, and currently on our way to the village square, where Susumu, Yuuko, and Hikari were waiting for us to announce my pregnancy. I was starting to get more and more nervous with each step I took, and I began to regret my decision, but there was no turning back now. I was in the form of a wolf again, but it was obvious there was some extra weight in my abdomen, where I felt my young moving a bit. I tried to calm down, but I was still terrified that the village would rebel against Susumu and Yuuko, no matter what they said.

"It'll be okay, Yama," Taichi assured me as he rode his horse, sensing my growing anxiety. "Dad has the power to stop them if necessary, so try not to stress out too much, okay?"

'_Easier said than done,_' I mumbled back via telepathy. I couldn't help but worry and stress out about this whole ordeal. What if someone tried to attack any one of us? I can't protect Taichi, myself, and his family without something bad happening. Soon, we reached the village, where there were several cold looks directed at me from a majority of the villagers in the area. Those who didn't glare seemed suspicious, eyeing me and then my swollen belly. I realized these were older women who did this, who must have had children themselves, or else they wouldn't have noticed. '_Taichi, some of them know something's up..._'

"Don't worry," he whispered back. "Just ignore them." I nodded nervously, acknowledging him, and we continued on towards the square. Upon our arrival, Susumu and Yuuko were waiting, along with Hikari, who stood close to her mother. Taichi dismounted his horse, and then we climbed onto the platform to stand by my mate's family. Soon after, the area in front of the platform was crowded with the villagers, and I noticed Sora hunched over in the back of the crowd. It seemed she couldn't get to the front, which was fine by me. Just meant less noise from her, hopefully.

"Give your village leader your full attention!" Yuuko yelled when the crowd refused to cease their mutterings. They soon quieted down, and Susumu began to speak.

"My villagers, I have news for you all," he started. "You all know by now that Yamato lives and is paired with my son, Taichi. Recently, Yuuko and I have come to learn that Yamato, as a shifter, is also capable of conceiving." This brought a startled feeling from the crowd, and I shifted on my paws uncomfortably. Everything was dead quiet at his words, and I could feel many hostile glares on me. "As I'm sure some of you may have guessed, Yamato has come to be with child." Immediately, some of the crowd began to curse me and my existence.

"Silence!" Yuuko snarled. "No one is allowed to treat my family that way!" I blinked, taken aback by that. I'd had no idea she considered me family...

"Leader Susumu, are you sure this shifter's spawn will be safe for the village?" a villager questioned, doubt heavy in his voice.

"They will be fine," Susumu answered, which caused the doubtful villager to become suspicious.

"'They'?" he repeated, noticing the small detail.

"Yamato is expecting twins," Yuuko announced. The entire crowd went silent again, but then there was a fuming voice from the back.

"How is that even **possible**?! Men aren't supposed to become pregnant, human or not!" Sora shrieked. "Why is this monster even being allowed near the village in the first place?!"

"Silence!" Susumu barked, and she piped down, but I could see she was still furious. "No one is to harm Yamato or his children. For all we know, these children could end up completely human, or part shifter. There has never been an incident of humans and shifters being together in this manner in our history, so we don't know."

"Actually, there has been," a familiar voice chimed in, and I looked in horror to see Ken walking onto the platform in human form, along with a shifter who was also in wolf form. The newcomer's fur was also a golden blonde color, which surprised me. The color was rare among shifters due to the brightness, and it would typically give them away. I was no exception to this, but I had been able to adjust accordingly.

"And who are you?!" another villager demanded.

"A friend of Yamato's. My name is Ken," the violet-haired shifter replied. Gesturing to the shifter beside him, he added, "And this is Yamato's younger half brother, Takeru." I gaped at them in disbelief.

'_How is that even possible?_' I asked, my words broadcasted to everyone. The shifter, Takeru, shifted into his human form, which resembled me greatly, and spoke.

"We share the same father, Yamato," he began. "When I was born, it was to a human man and our father, Hiroaki. Hiroaki had been with your mother for 15 years, and when you had turned 13, they abandoned you because Hiroaki had mated with my father, who I never knew. I was born 14 years after you, and Hiroaki raised me on his own, teaching me everything I know. He also told me about you, but I could never find you after his death, no matter how hard I tried. I've searched for the past 20 years for you, traveling to many lands out of desperation. Ken here realized our connection just by looking at me when he saw me as I stumbled across his home today. When he told me what was going on, I knew I needed to come here and share my story, as well as meet you." My mind was whirling with so many questions when he finished his story, and I could tell the villagers were gawking as well.

"I know it's a lot to take in, Yamato, but you need to believe him. He's telling the honest truth," Ken told me.

'_...I just...I don't understand...I have so many questions,_' I breathed.

"If one of them is about your young, don't worry. I've grown as a normal shifter should and would, since the shifter part of the parents takes dominance," Takeru assured me, which was one of my greater concerns. This information seemed to worry the villagers, though.

"Are there more mated pairs like Taichi and Yamato and your parents?" Susumu inquired.

"In other lands, yes. As a matter of fact, in most of the lands this is a common thing," Takeru answered, which surprised us all. "I'm not the first human and shifter hybrid, nor am I the last."

"How come our region has never heard of this?" Yuuko asked.

"Probably because the lands that don't have this custom are completely against it, and don't want anyone to know of it," my half brother guessed. "I'm not sure, but those regions that didn't have any shifters and humans together as mates were very close-minded."

"And there's no danger to the village?" Hikari asked with a smile.

"No, as long as the young are raised right," the blonde chuckled. "Hiroaki taught me that hunting humans was wrong, and only had me hunting smaller prey animals, such as squirrels and rabbits instead. I was raised on this, so I've never had the desire to hunt humans. That practice is a learned behavior, not something we instinctively do."

"Good to know," Susumu nodded, and hen he returned his attention to the listening crowd. "My villagers, there is no need to fear this, it would seem, based off of Takeru's information. Please treat Yamato and his children well, as the infants should be born within the next few weeks. I expect that innocent children will not be harmed in our village." The last statement had a hint of a threat to it, and I watched as the crowd seemed to agree to comply with Susumu's words. He then dismissed the gathering, and everyone dispersed, even Sora, yet she cast one last glare at me before trailing after her family. I then turned to Takeru, who seemed relieved.

'_Thank you,_' I thought to him, and he smiled at me.

"You're welcome, Yamato," he told me. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to see you. Ever since Hiroaki told me about you, I wanted to meet my half brother, but he didn't allow me to. He told me it was too dangerous, so I stayed with him until he passed away from illness."

'_It makes sense that he would say that, though,_' I replied. '_This village has always feared and hated shifters for the longest time, so you would have been in danger here._'

"Understandable, then," he nodded.

"Takeru, why don't you come home with us for a while? I'm sure you and Yamato want to talk more, and our home is just outside of the village," Taichi offered suddenly, and I glanced at him, surprised.

"That would be nice. I haven't been able to rest for a few days, anyway, and I had found Ken's home while trying to find a place to regain my strength," he explained, and I nodded in understanding.

'_Then let's go home,_' I thought to the little group before turning to Taichi's family. '_Thank you for everything,_' I murmured gratefully.

"Of course, Yamato," Yuuko smiled. "We consider you a part of our family, and besides, you're pregnant with Susumu and my future grandchildren. How could we not help?"

'_True. But it still means the world to me that you're all so supportive,_' I smiled, flashing my fangs briefly.

"It's no trouble. Now, you four had best head back so you can all rest from this," she urged, and Taichi nodded before leading us all back home. Along the way, Ken split off so he could return to his home, but bid us a warm farewell, along with a promise that he would return the next day. By the time we arrived at Taichi and my home, Takeru almost seemed like he was about to collapse.

'_Will you be okay?_' I asked him as I slowed down to walk alongside him in his own wolf form.

'_Yes, I just need to sleep,_' he mumbled, yawning as we waited for Taichi to put his horse in his stall in the barn.

'_You can sleep on the couch until you've recovered, Takeru,_' I told him, and he nodded slowly.

'_Thank you for that, I'm going to need it,_' he chuckled tiredly as my mate returned from putting his horse away.

"Let's go inside," the brunette smiled, and we trailed after him into the house. Takeru shifted back to human form as we entered, and let out a low, impressed whistle while looking around.

"This is a nice place you guys have. It's definitely nicer than the places I've stayed while traveling," he admitted.

"What do you mean?" I asked after I'd shifted back as well.

"There are buildings in some of the cities called hotels where people pay to stay for a certain amount of time, and they're nice, but your home is nicer," he answered. "It's nice to feel almost like I'm home. I haven't been to this part of the land before, despite it being close to where I was raised, so I'm glad I came."

"We are, too," Taichi agreed. Takeru began to waver on the spot, but I caught him in time and helped him to the couch, where he fell onto the piece of furniture.

"Thanks..." he mumbled, his eyes halfway closed.

"Get some sleep, Takeru. We'll talk more once you wake up," I urged, and he gave a small nod before falling asleep. Taichi covered him with a blanket from the closet, and then wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close to his side.

"Do you feel better now?" he asked softly.

"Much," I nodded, resting my head against his shoulder. He kissed the top of my head softly, and I felt a small purr run through me at his gentle touch, making Taichi chuckle.

"I'm glad. I felt so bad keeping you cooped up here, and I did realize it wasn't realistic, keeping two young children contained in a house for a majority of their lives, especially if they became curious as they get older," he told me. We started to head upstairs to the bedroom as he talked, giving my half brother some quiet so he could sleep peacefully. "I'm sorry, Yama, for not taking that into consideration..."

"Don't be," I murmured, sitting on the bed once the door was shut. "You just wanted to keep us all safe, which I understand."

"Still..." he sighed, sitting next to me. "Even though you're right, I still feel bad..." I snuggled myself into into his side, and he pulled me closer, wrapping his arms around me.

"I love you, Chi, so please don't feel bad," I whispered, my eyes starting to drift closed.

"I love you, too, Yama," the brunette smiled, and then pulled me down to lie down with him, my head on his chest so I could hear his heartbeat. "Get some sleep, Yama. You need it after that whole ordeal in the village."

"Thanks, Chi," I mumbled, and then I fell asleep, embraced in the arms of my mate.

X*X*X*X*X*X*X

I woke later to the smell of smoke coming from outside the open window, and immediately, I sat up, ignoring the dizziness from the sudden movement. I looked outside, and saw that, despite it being dark in the sky from the night, there was a red and orange glow coming from the barn. I realized instantly that the barn was on fire, and that Kaze was still inside, based off the panicked whinnying and cries coming from it. I looked to where Taichi was lying next to me, fast asleep, and I shook him awake.

"Taichi! Wake up, the barn's on fire!" I alerted him. He quickly sat up, wide awake, and looked outside, his brown eyes wide.

"Kaze...!" he gasped, and then threw the blanket off of himself before bolting down the stairs, and I hurried after him as quickly as I could in my current state.

"Screw this," I grumbled, and then shifted into a wolf before continuing down the stairs. I ran out the open door, and saw Takeru desperately trying to kick dirt on the flames to put them out while in the form of a wolf as well. '_Takeru!_'

'_Yamato! I saw some girl with reddish-orange hair setting the barn on fire, but I couldn't even chase her down because I needed to put out the flames!_' he wailed, and I snarled.

'_That was Sora, then, and she's hated Taichi and me since we got together,_' I growled.

"We'll talk more on this after the fire's been put out!" Taichi yelled, running over with a bucket of water from the nearby well. I nodded, and then shifted into an elephant before sucking water from the well into my trunk and spraying it at the fire. After a bit of this, the flames started to die down, but Kaze's fearful screams grew louder. Unable to handle it anymore, my mate ran inside to get his horse out.

'_No! Taichi!_' I cried out, shifting into a wolf again to follow. I burst through the burning wooden doors, and was horrified to see Sora trying to fight Taichi, despite the flames. Shockingly, she was holding her scythe like she used to, as though I had never struck her back with my tail as a dragon. The brunette narrowly dodged a slash from her scythe, and he was defenseless, considering he didn't have his katana on him.

"Sora! Why are you doing this?!" he demanded.

"Because I can't have you!" she shrieked. "If I can't have you, then that fucking monster carrying your spawn can't, either! And once I kill you, he's next, along with those disgusting creatures he's carrying!"

'_How dare you talk about us like that!_' I snarled, baring my teeth viciously as I padded closer, ignoring the fire around us. '_I don't know how you managed to recover from that wound I dealt you last time, you twisted bitch, but I can guarantee I won't let you get away alive this time!_' And with that, I lunged at her, my teeth bared. She swung her scythe, and I noticed the grimace she made as she did, so I kicked off of a wooden beam, and then struck Sora, knocking her scythe out of her hands at the same time. I landed on top of her as she dropped the weapon, an agonized scream escaping her as she fell on her injured back. I lowered my jaws until they were right over her throat, poised to kill her in an instant.

"Go ahead, kill me," she smirked. "Then everyone will see what a monster you really are."

'_You deserve to die after everything you've done, you fucking bitch,_' I thought to her, pulling back a bit to glare at her. '_But I won't let you get away with the satisfaction of thinking you've won. I'd rather let Susumu deal with your pathetic ass._' Her eyes widened in horror at that realization.

"NO! Just kill me now!" she screamed.

'_You won't win this,_' I growled, and then got off of her, smacking my tail in her face as I turned, and knocking her out.

"Yama, we need to get out, now!" Taichi yelled, trying to get Kaze out through the flames. Suddenly, I heard the creaking and groaning of the wood as it began to collapse, and I ran over to Taichi and his horse, trying to get them out quickly.

'_Taichi! The barn's going to collapse!_' I warned him. Kaze wasn't budging, though, out of fear, so I snapped at his hind legs, narrowly dodging his hooves as he suddenly took off out of the barn, Taichi clinging to his neck. I wasn't able to move quickly enough, however, as the barn started to crash around me. I gave a fearful cry, and heard Taichi yelling my name in a panic in response.

"Yama! Yama, you've got to get out!" he shouted.

'_I can't!_' I thought back, terrified. '_The way out is blocked!_'

"You need to get out, Yama! You can do it!" the brunette urged, but I could hear the terror in his voice. I looked about wildly, desperately trying to find a way out, but the only opening was covered in fire, and I knew I'd get pretty burned trying to jump through. I looked for another opening, and saw one higher up, free of fire and burning debris, but it would be tough to reach. But I refused to just give up and die, no way in hell! Carefully, I backed up several paces, and then ran towards a collapsed beam, jumping along it and several other pieces of debris until I was able to kick off of one last beam, aiming for the higher opening. I barely managed to get out through it in time, as the barn collapsed completely behind me. Landing on my side on the ground with a thump, I struggled to breathe, as suddenly a wave of pain slammed me. And it wasn't from my side, it was from my belly.

A/N: Merry Christmas, everyone! I've been trying to update things like crazy, and this is the most productive one this month! Anyhoo, sorry for the cliffy, but R&amp;R, peeps!


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